Providence
by Lyem
Summary: Update:5/28/10-Story will be continued soon Two ancient bloodlines converge from across the world to fulfill a destiny. After thousands of years, their world's greatest mystery will be uncovered. A fantasy setting genre. NanoFate and others
1. Prelude

A/N: Phew, I haven't written a fanfic in years…at least in English, but whatever. Here's a new take on MGLN. One thing that always got me about the show was magic story in a cyber world. Don't get me wrong, the show works, I love it, but here is a story based in a fantasy setting. Typical things you need to know. It will have yuri pairings, mainly Nanoha and Fate. If you no like, no read. Simple as that. Also the prologue is kind of long, but it was designed to introduce the concept and characters. Blah blah blah, on with the show.

Disclaimer: I own the series. Ha! If you can track me down, you deserve to sue me.

Providence

Prologue

The blonde came to a stop, her arm flying out to halt her companion as well. "Don't move," she whispered into the brunette's ear.

"What is it?" the other girl asked. It was hard to see while her enchantment was the only source of light she had. The glow runes, lining the hem of her white robe, wasn't anywhere near as effective as she hoped it would be.

"This isn't a normal hallway," the blonde mused aloud. "It's probably a service duct of some kind." She suddenly narrowed her eyes; her night vision, far greater than that of her companion, could see something moving in the darkness. Something that was moving very fast. "Brace yourself!" It was a harsh thing to do unannounced, but she shoved the other girl away.

The brunette groaned as she landed hard on the floor. "Mou!" Her companion could be a little extreme at times, but that was a little much. "Why did you..." Just as her blue eyes zipped around to glare at the blonde, a strange whistling noise froze her cold. Something, an untraceable white blur, suddenly passed in front of her face. The object was going so fast that it kicked up dust in its wake.

"That was close," the blonde said, her voice laced with pain. She already pressed herself against the opposite wall when she shoved the shorter girl, but unlike the brunette, she wasn't sitting on the ground. "Are you well?"

"Besides a sore butt?" The brunette righted herself and leaned against the wall. Looking up, she gave the blonde a forgiving smile. "It's nothing a little rubbing won't fix."

"I will assist you if I can." The blonde didn't really catch what the other girl was saying. Her attention was solely fixed on the dark corridor; but instead of looking in the direction they were going, she was looking back in the direction they came.

"I…err…that's alright." The brunette fidgeted in embarrassment. She took her companion's response seriously—the blonde's monotonic voice made it nearly impossible to tell otherwise. "Anyway, what was that thing?" Before the shorter girl could stand up, a tiny strand of brown hair floated down from her bangs and landed in her lap. The hair was sheared cleanly.

The blonde heard a startled gasp and looked over to her companion's blue eyes. "You were lucky. A few centimeters higher and it would have taken your head off." Her voice tried to inflect some sympathy, but instead it came out indifferent. Sadly, there was no genteel way of telling someone they almost died.

"Ehh…" The brunette sat motionless for several seconds. Finally, for good measure, she reached up and checked the top of her head. "At least it's still there," she said with an unsteady voice.

"Always a good sign," the blonde deadpanned. This time she tried some levity, but ultimately it came out sarcastic.

Even then, the brunette recognized the intention behind her companion's words. "Thank you for saving my life again. I'm beginning to think it's your hobby."

The blonde avoided making eye contact. "I need you alive," she said simply.

If she didn't know any better, the brunette could have sworn there was guilt in the other girl's voice. "Right…" the brunette sighed, "so I've been told." She was suddenly reminded of why they were here in the first place. "How about you, are you well?"

The blonde never once took her eyes off the dark corridor. "Aye."

Looking over, she saw that the blonde appeared to be in good shape: her long, golden hair flowed like a cape from behind her back; her shapely form, tightly hugged inside that obsidian plate armor, was rigidly postured as usual; even those sad, piercing red eyes were as clear as ever. It amazed her how the other girl could pull it off—looking so strong, yet entirely feminine at the same time. It wasn't just the appearances. The blonde's calm demeanor, despite the danger, showed her experienced prowess.

A calm that was shattered when a grimace suddenly formed on the blonde's full lips.

"What is it?" the brunette asked wearily, pressing herself firmly against the wall. A sense of déjà vu fell over her.

"Please remain still," the taller girl said through gritted teeth.

The brunette groaned, "Not again." She took the other woman's clenched jaw as a sign of returned danger; it was not a visage she ever wanted to see on the blonde's pretty face. Over the last few weeks the she saw many different expressions from the other girl, all which she considered alluring, but the current look wasn't one of them. "Just tell me what to do, Fate-chan. I can help."

The blonde didn't answer, instead she drew a two-handed sword from a sheath on her back. The weapon, a gold bladed claymore with a black pommel, appeared far too large for a woman of her stature to hold, let alone wield. "Sorry for pushing you earlier," the blonde quietly apologized without facing the other girl. She effortlessly swung her large sword, a feat that beguiled reality, into a vertical stance. It was there Fate held the blade while awaiting the inevitable.

"Fate…" Again the brunette was ready to question the other girl, but something else caught her eye that silenced her. Below the right shoulder plate of Fate's armor, under the intricately designed metal crest, appeared a tiny scratch that lined the arm. Something so small would normally be overlooked, but blood was pouring from the small opening there. "You're hurt!"

The brunette was ready to rush to her side, but Fate's soft voice halted her, "Please, Nanoha," her injury was the least of her concerns, "remain still." She didn't have to explain herself. Suddenly, faster than the eye could follow, the shiny blur returned from the direction she was facing. Only this time it was met with sparks when her large blade intercepted it.

Nanoha noted that the mysterious object wasn't the only thing that could move faster than the eye. Even now, after all this time, the blonde Westerner never ceased to amaze her. "What is that?" Nanoha let out a gasp when she looked over at what caused the commotion. Spinning disks—the size of wagon wheels, one horizontal and the other vertical—occupied the middle of the hallway. Judging from their position, she knew that Fate wasn't exaggerating earlier. She really would have lost her head.

"Err…" Fate groaned, pushing the disks with all her might. She put more pressure on the uninjured left arm to keep from deepening the wound on the other. It seemed the disks were responding to pressure; the more she pushed back the faster they spun. "The builders must have made these to keep out intruders in this tunnel." Fate had to talk loud enough to be heard over the grinding noise.

"A 'Do Not Enter' sign would have been easier. Mou, are you always this calm?" Nanoha looked over at her companion in disbelief. Aside from the pain caused by Fate's wound, nothing ever seemed to unnerve the blonde. "Nyah!' Grasping her head, Nanoha had a sudden urge to press her hands over her ears. The grinding noise was getting worse, and judging from the increased amount of sparks from the collision, the disks were moving faster by the second. That wasn't good. Fate was showing signs of tiring out, and that was a rare sight on the abnormally strong woman.

A bead of sweat slid down from Fate's forehead. "Now would be good time for some aid." She couldn't help but let someone nervousness slip into her voice.

"What do you want me to do?" Instead of sounding confused, Nanoha anxiously awaited instruction.

"Anything," retorted the blonde quickly, "you're the magi. Can't you make it disappear or something?"

"I don't have that kind of control. The temple only taught me elemental magics and basic spells."

Fate internally sighed. That was Nanoha's way of saying she only knew how to blow things up. "Do what you can." She turned and looked pointedly at her companion. "Just be quick about it." To illustrate the need to hurry, Fate's arms began to shake from the exertion.

Nanoha nodded and cautiously stood up to examine the spinning metal disks. As far as she could tell there was nothing moving it—no wires or a device, nothing—fortunately, that's exactly what she was hoping for. "Hang in there, Fate-chan." Magical enchantments she could deal with.

"It's not like I have a choice. The thing doubled its size after the first pass. Letting it go by again will only prove troublesome."

The brunette rolled her eyes. That was Fate's way of saying they were as good as dead if they didn't take care of it now. "If we get out of this place you need to learn the meaning of 'understatement.'"

"If Yuno hadn't placed a language spell in your mind, you wouldn't know what it meant either." For the first time, despite the extremity of the situation, Fate smiled. "Why don't you try learning my language the hard way?"

Nanoha couldn't respond right away; just seeing the blonde's rare smile was enough silence her. She wouldn't say it aloud, but Nanoha thought it was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. Kind of like the sun on a cloudy day "Mou, how about you try learning mine?"

"I would like to…" Fate motioned towards the spinning disks of doom, "but first things first."

"Nya ha-ha, sorry." Nanoha stood off to the blonde's side and was careful not to disturb the other girl. With a deep, calming breath she extended her senses outwards.

For humans who possessed 'the gift,' there was a second sight her people called the inner eye—it allowed for magi to see the eddies of magic that were normally blind from the common person—and right now it provided a powerful tool.

A moment passed before Nanoha finally found what she was looking for. She could detect the ambient tendrils of power woven over the metal disks, like a campfire in a dark night. "Here I go." Holding out her right hand, Nanoha made a gesture in the air. Like a pen on paper, a symbol was written in midair comprised of red lines.

The symbol appeared similar to her language's character based language, but instead, it depicted a word in the language of the ancients, a word of power. It was essential in pulling out the innate magic energies used for spells.

"This should be simple enough. I just have to untie the spell bindings on the disks."

It couldn't have come a moment sooner; Fate's grip on her blade was starting to reach its breaking point. She was strong, unnaturally so, but there was a limit to the endurance needed to use it. "We die if you mess up."

"Fate-chan!" Nanoha sputtered, almost messing up her symbol. "Can't you say something like 'you'll do fine', or 'I believe in you'."

"Umm…maybe I should have." Fate tuned away sheepishly. "I believe in you."

"Better late than never I suppose," Nanoha retorted with an amused smile. Even in a tense moment like this the blonde worked a miracle. She couldn't have been more relaxed if she was lounging on a beach somewhere. "I almost believe you mean that."

Fate redoubled her strenuous efforts against the disks. "…I do," she said quietly. When she spoke the words she hadn't intended for the other girl to hear it.

What she didn't know was that Nanoha's currently enhanced senses could pick it up easily. A blush suddenly worked its way on the brunette's alabaster cheeks. She don't know why the admission embarrassed her, but she internally berated herself for allowing it to. Wasn't it strange to become flustered after a kidnapper paid you a compliment?

"Nanoha," the blonde said tiredly without turning around, "…can you…not stop this thing?"

The magi shook her mind free of the confusing thoughts; thoughts that seemed to be the norm for her since meeting the Westerners. "A few thousand year old trap can't stop us that easily."

Fate could have disagreed. She was the one currently face-to-face with a death trap tying to decapitate her.

"Where is it?" Nanoha whispered to herself. A thread of magic woven around the disks, brighter than the rest, suddenly caught her eye. It was exactly was what she was looking for. "Found it!" Nanoha smirked in satisfaction. This trap might have been crafted by the ancients, but for her it was child's play. With a flick of her hand, she released the symbol in a flash of light.

The symbol itself was a complete spell: magic woven around a physical form, concentrated by a word of power, and projected by the caster's will. Symbols allowed conjurers like herself to use their raw energies efficiently.

"That should work, Fate-chan." Nanoha watched her efforts pay off. Energy, a light red that bordered on pink, poured into the disks and tore the enchantments apart. Starting from the core thread and working its way across, the entire thing eventually folded like a house of cards.

Fate's eyes widened in surprise when the tension against the disks gradually lessened. Just like that, the they completely stopped and fell to the floor in a clatter. Each one of them was only the size of a plate now. "I'll say this right now," Fate said tiredly, falling to her knees with a sigh, she was panting heavily but mostly from relief, "All magi are destined to burn in the fires of hell, but that doesn't change the fact you're still amazing, Nanoha."

Fate slowly turned to regarded her companion. The brunette was shorter than she was, only by a little bit, but that still made Nanoha taller than most Eastlanders. She was also petite with a moderate bust—her silken robes only seemed to accentuate that fact—even then, the other girl was still shaped in the way that would put court ladies to shame.

The blonde pulled herself off the floor using her sword as a makeshift crutch. She noted, with satisfaction, that the wound on her arm was mostly healed now; the broken metal and caked blood was still an annoyance though. She noted that Nanoha was watching her from the corner of her eyes. The girl was concerned for her well being, a notion that Fate could never really get used to.

Another thing of about Nanoha that Fate found interesting was the girl's hair. It was long, as long as her own, but Nanoha kept in a single, sideways ponytail—the color of which was a deep brown that boarded on red. To Fate, its silken texture and smooth color reminded her of the cakes she used to eat as a child.

"I am in you're debt again." Fate crossed a fist near her heart and bowed slightly in acknowledgement.

Alluring as Nanoha's form may be, the thing about the other girl that impressed Fate the most was her face. It was beautiful: exotically shaped eyes that framed a deep pool of blue, a small button nose, alabaster skin, not to mention a pert mouth which always seemed to smile. All together, Nanoha reminded Fate of the statues the Elva worshiped in the likeness of their goddess.

"You're amazing," Fate said again without taking her eyes off the other girl.

Nanoha blushed and turned away from the pointed gaze. "Err…emm…it was nothing." She fidgeted with the white material of her robe. "It was simple after I found the trap's spell thread and…"

Fate held out a hand to stop her politely. "It does not matter." Fate shook her head, her long hair swishing around more than her black cape did. "Whatever you did it worked." Fate kneeled slightly to slide her sword back into its sheath; she was careful not to shear a single blonde hair in the process. "We must hurry on. The others may have already reached the main chamber." They had more pressing matters to attend to than just standing in the ruined corridor. Funny how everything here didn't work except for the traps.

Nanoha nodded quietly, still somewhat embarrassed by the blonde's recent praise, and followed closely behind as the two continued to press on. "Don't you mean 'if' the others made it?" Nanoha finally said after awhile. "We should never have split up. This place is too dangerous to be wondering around."

"True, but there were too many paths to explore one at a time. Splitting up is the best way to make up for lost time."

"Aren't you worried about your companions?"

Fate stopped and paused. After a moment she finally answered, "I am." It was simple reply but it was laced with meaning.

Nanoha internally berated herself for the inconsiderate question. "Sorry, Fate-chan." They were the blonde's friends, even if Fate wouldn't admit to it, so of course she would be worried about them.

"Let's just see where this path leads," Fate said quietly. "We can backtrack if it's another dead end." From then on, they continued in silence.

00000000

"Do you smell that?" Fate gestured a hand signal in Nanoha's direction. The brunette, who appeared not to understand, raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Err…that means stop," the blonde explained in embarrassment.

Nanoha gave her companion an amused smile. "I figured that, but I just wanted to see you squirm." The shorter girl walked ahead and stood in front of Fate. Whilst there, she attempted to detect the scent that Fate was pointing out. "The air is less stale."

"Exactly." Fate adjusted herself and stood abreast the other woman. "There must be a fresh air source up ahead."

"An opening then…Yuno must have been right." Nanoha caught the other girl cringing at the comment. It was a subconscious act that even the blonde wasn't aware of. "If we waited a little longer, like he suggested, we might have found a better entry point with your mounts."

"It doesn't make him right just because we found some fresh air." Her voice was flat, and her tone reasonable, but Fate still refused to acknowledge the man's suggestion.

"But it might have been safer, Fate-chan," Nanoha said pointedly. She couldn't keep the teasing tone out of her voice, even if she tried. Nanoha was well aware of Fate's little competitive streak against the Elva archeologist. The whole decision to enter the mountain before nightfall was Fate's call; a decision the blonde insisted was based on logic and practicality. Entertainingly enough, it was a case of obvious jealously. Just because Yuno suggested an aerial path, the group ended up going on foot. Nanoha thought Fate's stubbornness was cute in a strange way.

"You just wanted to go flying again," Fate said nonchalantly, stepping ahead of the brunette to take the lead again. That, however, did not cover up the slight smile that tugged at the corner of her lips. "You always find an excuse to go flying." Nanoha treated flying like an alcoholic would a vintage wine, she just couldn't get enough of it.

"Mou!" Nanoha groaned as she followed after. "Do you blame me? It's exhilarating."

Fate shrugged. "It's the most efficient way to travel."

"Efficient? Come on, Fate-chan. It's fun and you know it."

In truth, flying was second nature to Fate. She had literally grown up in the skies—more so in the recent years. Flying was as common to her as riding a horse, or sailing a ship, was to others. After all these years, the wonder of such a feat became lackluster. Though, Fate admitted in the recesses of her thoughts, having Nanoha ride with her brought a new thrill to the experience. It was something she would never admit to the other girl aloud. "Do you really enjoy flying that much?"

Nanoha caught sight of Fate's red gems shining in the magically created light. It was rare to see the blonde openly amused. "It's more about riding with you."

The comment struck a cord inside Fate; she didn't know what to make of it. "Me?"

Nanoha nodded gently, she was afraid that her words were a little too honest. "You're a different person in the skies, Fate-chan." It was true. Up in the skies the blonde was at peace, it was like she was born up there. She enjoyed seeing that side of her friend.

Fate didn't understand, instead she fixed her gaze on the other woman. Her red eyes never leaving the Eastlander's face once.

"Fate-chan?" the shorter girl said with a blush. "Is something on my face?"

The blonde shook her head and quietly turned back to the path. They walked along in silence for several minutes, each girl afraid to look at the other. Something was changing between them over the course of their long journey, and both of them could feel it. As they went along the scent of fresh air increased with every step they took. The exit had to be near.

"I wonder how the others are doing?" Nanoha said to break the silence. She didn't know it, but she voiced the very same question running through Fate's mind.

"I wonder." Fate faithfully believed everyone was fine, in terms of health, but who could say about their success in traversing this ancient work of stone. This was the fifth tunnel their team had explored by themselves; each of the last four were nothing but dead ends. "It's amazing." she said aloud, not aware she voiced her thoughts.

"What is, Fate-chan?" Nanoha's eyes swept over the darkened walls. This place must have been built long before her people called the isles home. Maybe even before humans existed at all. "The ruins?"

A blush wormed its way unwillingly on Fate's cheeks. She internally debated whether or not she wanted to respond; sadly, she made the mistake of looking at Nanoha. Those clear blue eyes made the decision for her. "I…" Fate could only sigh. Nanoha had a strange power, a power that had nothing to do with magic, that always made Fate confess whatever was on her mind. Had the other girl been born in the West, she would have made an excellent inquisitor. "I was actually talking about you."

"Huh?" Nanoha blinked in confusion. "Me?"

Fate nodded, causing a cascade blonde hair to ripple over her cape. "You were worrying about everyone else. I find that…strange. We are your enemies after all." That wasn't completely true. Out of all their companions Fate was the only true enemy.

"I might not have come along willingly, at first," Nanoha moved quickly so she could catch the blonde's eye, "but that doesn't mean I wished it never happened."

Fate stopped. "Truly?" She turned to the brunette and gave her a look of disbelief. "You are doing this…willingly?"

"Nya ha-ha." Nanoha burst out in laughter. She reflected back on all the things she'd been through. Sure there were scary, confusing, and generally chaotic moments, but if she had a chance to go back and change anything, she wouldn't. "I'm a magi, Fate-chan. I could have found a dozen chances to escape."

Fate knew that to be true. "And you didn't?" she asked curiously. Fate wanted find the answer to a question that had been bugging her for awhile now. "Why not?"

"Isn't this all for a good cause?" Nanoha said with a bright smile.

"In believe it to be true, yes." Fate knew there was more to it on Nanoha's part. "What's your real reason for staying?"

Nanoha held a finger to her lips. "It's a secret." Before Fate could raise a question, Nanoha turned her face back to the path ahead. "Let's hope this tunnel ends soon We need a break."

Fate accepted the brunette's obvious attempt to change the subject. Everyone was entitled to their secrets. "Refreshing ourselves would definitely be welcomed."

"Emm, I would love that." Sure Nanoha was spotless, thanks to magic, but using spells was a poor substitute for a warm bath. "How do you do it?"

"Do what?" The blonde raised an eyebrow.

"Wear all that armor and still have the energy to keep going?"

"I'm used to."

"Come now, Fate-chan." The brunette nudged the other girl slightly. "Admit it, you're tired."

"I'm fine," The taller girl said nonchalantly.

"And your arm?" Nanoha pointed out.

Fate looked to her injured limb; she had already forgotten about it. "It seems to have healed back to normal."

"Amazing."

Fate glanced over. "Coming from a magi?"

"It's not the same thing." Nanoha shook her head. Magic was one thing, but Fate's self-healing was an ability on a different level—at least Nanoha didn't have to worry about the other girl's minor injuries. "Is that because of your pact or…"

"My pact," Fate answered firmly. "Bardiche is the reason behind the fast healing, same with my strength and speed."

"But he's not even around."

"He doesn't have to be." Fate moved a hand over her heart. "Bardiche could be on the other side of the world and our pact would remain."

Nanoha looked on in wonder. Bardiche was the stuff of legends among her people. Demons, gods, and even spirits were words used to describe beings like him in lore. That's exactly what they were until the Westerners came, legends. Only children believed they actually existed. "Hmm," Nanoha hummed in amusement to herself. It was funny that she was nearing her twentieth year, but she was currently a firm believer in a children's fable. It did help that she actually saw, touched, and even flew on one. "Your pact with Bardiche is odd."

"How so?" Fate wondered. "Your people treat magic so casually. Surely our ways can't seem so strange."

Nanoha crossed her arms and looked over coyly. "Commanding gods is a little hard to swallow, even for us?"

"Gods?" Fate sputtered, her red eyes shined with hidden mirth. "Bardiche?" Suddenly the blonde made a strange sound in the back of her throat. Catching herself in time, she suppressed it before it erupted.

"Nya ha-ha. You were going to laugh weren't you, Fate-chan?"

Red tinted the taller girl's face. "Of course not!" After a moment of an impromptu stare fest she acquiesced. "I admit it was…amusing."

"You should just laugh," Nanoha scolded playfully. "If you let that kind of stuff build up, one day it's going to explode." The brunette made an expanding motion with her arms complete with sound effects.

Fate cleared her throat, either that or start laughing again, and changed the subject. "Bardiche is no god, so please, never let him catch you saying that. His ego is hard enough to deal with as it is."

"I wouldn't want that." Nanoha reached over and patted Fate playfully on the head. "There there, I don't wont to give Fate-chan a hard time."

No one else in the whole world would dare touch Fate like that—back home the imperial guards would have cut Nanoha down for even trying—as for Fate at this very moment, she found the gesture comforting in a way. Nanoha was naturally a physically affectionate person, so throughout their journey she had gotten used to being touched like that. "May I ask you something?"

"Nani?" Nanoha said, reverting back to her native tongue. She enjoyed her teasing of Fate so much that she forgot herself. "What's that?" Nanoha said correctly this time. She found it easier and easier to revert back to Fate's native language these days; a language Yuno referred to as Common.

Fate lightly smiled at companion's slip. She didn't have anything against hearing Nanoha's native tongue. In fact, she found it a lyrically pleasing language, much to the dismay of her people if they ever found out. To them it would probably sound too much like the Elva tongue to be accepted. "What do you think of my pact?"

"With Bardiche?"

Fate nodded.

"Hmm." Nanoha crossed her hands behind her back. The question was hard to answer without offending the other woman. "It seems too much like a form of slavery. His kind are proud, mythical beings, yet they serve your every command."

Fate expected the Eastlander to feel that way. They didn't have the same kind of history with Bardiche's kind as hers did. "I said it before, but Bardiche isn't a slave, nor do my people do anything of that sort to his kind. Our relationship is mutual and beneficial to both sides."

Nanoha nodded and accepted that. She had gotten to know Fate's special companion over the weeks. He was more of a close friend to the blonde than a beast of burden. "What does he get out of it?"

"Huh?"

"Well," Nanoha shrugged, "you get healing, strength, and speed. Plus he serves and fights for you. In the end what do you give him?"

"A promise." It was like a motto that sprung from Fate's lips. She turned and looked at the other girl, she figured it needed explaining. "Long ago Bardiche's kind were truly slaves. Beasts of war and nothing more." Fate looked away. "Humans and them were kindred souls in that aspect."

"Beasts of war or…" Nanoha trailed off. She recalled Yuno mentioning something similar.

"Both," Fate continued, "When we freed ourselves from that fate, we did the same for the other. In return, they pledged to fight along side us as long as we kept a promise."

"Which was?" Nanoha raised an eyebrow in genuine curiosity.

"Safeguard their nesting land, ensure their kind is never returned to shackles, and the final, most important oath." Fate said each part like a mantra. It was clear she repeated the same words many times in her life. "Avenge them."

"Avenge?" The brunette leaned over, as if sharing a secret. "Against who?"

Fate's face was unreadable, but her jaw clinched noticeably. "Why don't you ask Yuno and see what he has to say."

Nanoha's eyes widened. "Oh…I see. That explains a lot then."

Fate nodded and the two continued to walk a minute or two in silence. "That's why…" Fate came to a halt.

Nanoha stopped as well. "Fate-chan?"

"Don't move."

"Mou!" Nanoha jumped away from the blonde. "I'm not you letting you push me again. If you want me to duck just say so." The brunette scanned the hall and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. "Besides, I can defend myself…"

"Shhh!" Fate said, pressing a finger to her lips.

The blue-eyed girl took the hint, but not completely. "Do you see something?" she said in a whisper. Enhanced sight was another ability that Fate possessed, probably from her pact, so if there was anything in the darkness the blonde would have spotted it before she did. Sure she had her magical senses, but that required an active effort to use. So far, Nanoha was content to let Fate take the lead.

Another full smile soon graced Fate's lips.

Nanoha was taken aback. She was expecting another death trap, so unless Fate had flipped out, there was no reason to be smiling like that. "Mou! Are you joking with me, Fate-chan?" The nine hells must be having snowstorms.

The taller girl shook her head. "Come out now!"

Nanoha jumped slightly at Fate's raised voice. She followed the red-eyed girl's gaze into the darkness; she still couldn't see anything.

"Didn't I tell you to stay on the surface? I don't trust Durandal to be patrolling by himself."

"Who are you talking to…"

A deep, monotonic voice, like a man who wasn't used to speaking, called out ahead, _"A patrol wasn't needed, so I came to be by your side." _

The blonde sighed. "It can't be helped I guess. You never did follow orders very well."

"_My place is by your side, Sir."_

"Bardiche?" Nanoha said in surprise. She wasn't so much surprised by his presence, as she was by the fact he came from the direction they were heading.

"Come here," Fate ordered. It sounded more like a request from a friend than the command of a master. At her behest, two glowing yellow eyes appeared in the darkness—two slitted, reptilian eyes. Those yellow eyes grew larger as Bardiche drew closer. When he finally emerged into the light, the one created by Nanoha's robe, they both got a good look at him.

"Yes, Sir?" The tiny draconian being looked at the two girls with a steady gaze. His current form depleted some of the strength his gaze normally held, mainly because he was currently no bigger than a dog—though comparing Bardiche to a dog was a great disservice. "I await instruction."

He was a dragon: covered from head-to-tail in obsidian scales, each with the density of hardened steel; long bat-like wings that were folded over his back; bladelike claws at the end of each four legs; a long corded neck that led to the most noticeable feature, four spike-like horns that protruded from his reptilian head. All in all, Bardiche was every bit the majestic dragon of Eastland lore, except he was currently travel sized.

"Kawaii!" Nanoha giggled as she bent down to run a hand over the tiny dragon's head. "You had me thinking you were another monster or trap." She mocked glared at the blonde. "Can you believe that your master used you to tease me?"

"No," the monotonic male voice of the dragon retorted. His speech was unnatural, and his maw barely moved the whole time. It was clear that his communication was a form of magic.

Fate stood next to the brunette and looked at Nanoha with awe. It happened every time the girl interacted with Bardiche; it was such an inconceivable sight. No other human in all the world, save for herself, was allowed to touch the proud dragon unless she ordered him to do so. So why did he always allow Nanoha that privilege and no other? It vexed Fate. Only members of her family should be allowed something like that, but last time she checked Nanoha wasn't her wife. "Don't pet him like that," Fate groaned quietly, "he's a dragon, not a puppy."

"Nya ha-ha," Nanoha laughed, showing no signs of stopping, "but he's so cute in this form." The brunette looked up playfully. "Jealous, Fate-chan?"

Nanoha meant it as a joke, but Fate's cheeks took on a shade of red anyway. "Bardiche," she said, turning to address the dragon, "How did you come from that direction?" The dragon looked up, if Fate didn't know any better, she would have sworn the dragon liked all the attention Nanoha was giving him.

"I followed Yuno." Bardiche said with a sudden growl—having to say the man's name automatically provoked that kind of response. It seemed he didn't like the archeologist any more than his master did, albeit for different reasons.

"Be nice." Nanoha rapped her knuckles on Bardiche's head. The move earned another unbelieving stare, not just from Fate this time, but from the dragon as well. "We are all friends here. Now, what was this about Yuno?"

The dragon didn't need to answer anyone but his master, yet he answered the brunette's question just the same, "He found a shaft leading down to the central chamber from the mountain top. I followed and went to find Master to tell her." What was left unsaid, both girls understood. Bardiche was worried about Fate and used that as an excuse to go find her.

Fate internally sighed; Yuno just had to be right 'again.' "So…that Elva already found the central chamber?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Told you," Nanoha said playfully.

Fate ignored her. "I was right then." The blonde straightened and walked ahead of them. "We were going the right direction the whole time. This path does lead to the central chamber."

The brunette smiled affectionately, something she wasn't even aware of doing. What she did know, however, was what her next statement was going to do, "Too bad you didn't find it first, Fate-chan."

"Humph."

Nanoha had to admit that Fate was adorable when she pouted.

00000000

"To think this existed under my own country." Nanoha looked around in bright-eyed wonder. The two had followed Bardiche through the tunnel, and sure enough, it led to a brightly lit circular room. Her robe's light was no longer needed now. The room was adequately lit with the rays of the moon pouring through an opening at the roof. Nanoha expected the hole to be a cave in of some sort, but judging from its smooth shape, it was definitely artificial.

Fate agreed with that assessment, "Looks like it was made on purpose." The blonde pointed up at the roof. "Maybe used during some kind of a ritual."

Nanoha nodded. "It's big enough to fit Bardiche at full size," she noted.

Fate sighed and cast a glance at the opening with renewed annoyance; even she had to admit it was a more convenient way to reach the central chamber. "So we are finally here." The blonde turned to the tiny dragon, sensing the eyes of his master, it swerved its head around to meet her gaze. "Is this the place, Bardiche?"

Those golden eyes said many things without having to utter a sound. Mainly that he wanted to be somewhere else. "Yes, Sir."

Fate nodded and watched as Nanoha started to climb down to the main area. The entire layout of the room resembled a grand meeting place of some kind—shockingly similar to the Senatus Dome back home. Starting from the top and working all the way down, stone seats, amazingly preserved despite their age, lined the walls all around the room. At the center rested a huge stone dais with the design of a crescent moon on its surface. Where the crest met at the center a podium stood. It was crafted in the same white stone this whole place was crafted in.

"The legends were true," Nanoha said excitedly, "and here I had my doubts." The brunette stepped down the steps one by one heading for the center.

Fate watched the other girl wearily. There were cracks and holes in the central stonework, and as high up as this place was built, there was no telling how far a person would plummet if they fell through one.

"I…" Nanoha hopped back quickly when a step crumbled under her foot. If she reacted a moment too late it would have been a nasty fall.

"Careful, Nanoha!" A guilty feeling quickly filled the blonde as soon as the words left her mouth. Fate, of all people, knew first hand how annoying it was for a strong woman to be coddled, yet here she was adopting the same mannerisms her male comrades had. "Not that you aren't…" she paused, unsure of what to say, "that is…you can use your magic and whatnot." Fate internally groaned as she heard herself speak. It was so awkward that it made her want to cringe.

The brunette stopped and looked over her shoulder with a raised eyebrow. Again, she was amazed at how cute Fate could be at times. "Worried about me, Fate-chan?"

Fate avoided making eye contact. "N-n-no." She followed quickly after the Eastlander to catch up, another blush resurfacing on her ivory cheeks.

The red coloring didn't go unnoticed by Bardiche. "Humph." His master was acting like a drake in heat; the very thought of it made him grunt in amusement.

The blonde suddenly heard the hissing cackle that Bardiche only used when he was laughing. "What?" she said in annoyance. Her voice rose only loud enough for the reptile to hear. In response, the dragon simply shook his head with no comment. "Humph." Fate straitened her posture in a vain attempt to compose herself. The action only made the dragon snicker again.

Nanoha tried not to stare at the two but she couldn't help it. It was a heartening sight. Fate's armor was cracking more and more these days, and it wasn't the one she wore on the surface. "What's so good about this place anyway?" the shorter girl asked when the blonde caught up with her. Together, the three approached the moon shaped dais.

"I don't know myself…" Fate was told to come here, same as Nanoha. She wished she would say more but only a magic expert, and an archeological one at that, had that kind of information. "Maybe Yuno would grace us with those answers." The two girls finally stepped on the stone dais and looked around the empty room. "Where is he?" Fate turned to her dragon, it was clear to who she was referring to. "You said he was already down here, didn't you?"

The dragon nodded. "Yes, Sir."

Nanoha raised an eyebrow. "Then where did he go?" There wasn't anywhere to hide unless he entered one of the dozen or so openings along the wall. "If this is the central chamber then he should be here."

"Maybe he fell into one these holes." A slight smile tugged at the corner of Fate's lip. She was currently inspecting one such hole at the end of the dais.

"Mou, Fate-chan, that's rude! It's bad luck."

"What?" The blonde looked back innocently. "It's simple reasoning. I meant nothing by it."

"Still."

Fate shrugged and continued examining the hole. From her enhanced vision she could see her earlier guess was right. The drop descended downwards passed the point where she could make it out anymore. What she did see, however, was a large pillar holding up the moon-shaped dais in the center. "Yuno could have turned into a cockroach and scurried off somewhere."

"Fate-chan!"

"_If that was the case I'm going to step on him," _echoed a new voice from higher up.

Nanoha and Fate whipped their heads around and looked to an opening at the top of a stairs.

A teenage girl, wearing armor similar to Fate's with less metal sections and more leather, stood there with a sour look on her face. She had the lithe build of a dancer, autumn red hair done up in pigtails, and the coolest shade of focused blue eyes. Those attributes made the redhead a very attractive girl, but she was purposely giving off an aura of severity to hide them. Not entirely though, her military grade armor was still worn with a teenage flare to accentuate her form. Anyone looking wouldn't have noticed anyway; the two cross guarded daggers attached to her thighs normally drew people's attention first.

"Teana," Fate said as she stood up, "Why are you here? I thought I told you to watch the camp."

In the redhead's arms rested a half dozen fist sized crystal cones. They looked heavy, and she did her best to hold them all up, but their weight was nothing to joke about. "Sorry, Milady. That stupid Elva came back and got me." Teana shook her head, her face the picture of extreme annoyance. "He said he needed my help inside, and although I initially refused him, he said it was for your benefit."

"He told you I sent for you?"

"Not in so many words, but he implied it." Teana made it clear her foul mood wasn't directed at the two girls. "Yuno, where did you go?!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. Teana scanned the entire room but there wasn't any sight of the man. "Figures." The redhead began climbing down the stairs, each step was carefully balanced to keep from dropping any of the cones. "Stupid Elva!"

"Teana," Nanoha said admonishingly, "You shouldn't be rude."

"I didn't ask for your op…" Teana began say automatically, but one look at Fate's narrowing red eyes made her think better of it. "Sorry, I forget myself. I meant no harm." Her apology was directed more towards the blonde than her nearby companion. It was unforgivable to be acting like a commoner in front of her master.

Nanoha waved off the apology, laughing in the process to ease the tension. "Forget all about it." She waited patiently for the other girl to join them on the dais, when she did, Nanoha noted the weird crystals. They somewhat resembled the glowstones used back at the temple. "What are those?"

Teana sighed and carefully placed her bundle on the floor. She was beyond relieved to be free of their weight. "I don't know. Yuno told me to fetch them upstairs. These things were just lining the side of the main hallway." Teana jerked a thumb in the direction she came from. "Most of the tunnels were caved in, so I picked up the ones I could find." The redhead groaned and tenderly massaged her shoulder. " Really now, getting a woman to do all the dirty work for him. What kind of man is he?"

"_Technically, I'm not a man,"_ came a muffled voice from the center of the dais. _"I'm Elva."_

Teana let out a startled yelp. If she hadn't already set down the crystals, she might have dropped them at that point. As one, all the girl followed the voice back to the source, but oddly enough, no one saw any sign of the man.

"Maybe he did turn into a cockroach," Nanoha said in confusion. She scanned the floor just to be sure.

"_I wish I could. Traveling as an insect would truly be an interesting experience."_

Fate cocked her head and approached the podium. She could have sworn the voice echoed up from the bottom of it. "Where are you?"

"_Down here."_

"Where is here, and how did you get down there?" Fate pressed a hand to the bottom of the stone. The voice was definitely coming from beneath. Maybe somewhere inside the support column she spotted through the hole.

"_Fate, do you see a crescent moon symbol on the podium?"_

The armored girl rose up and searched the platform, sure enough, there as a white moon crest on the side facing the group. "I found it."

"_Okay, now turn it counterclockwise."_

Wearily, but firmly, Fate did as he asked. All the girl's jerked slightly when the stone dais began to shake beneath their feet. With a sound of grinding stone, the podium slid back to reveal the smiling face of Yuno staring up at them.

He was a very tall man with a slim build—the length of which was clad in a brown coat tunic with matching pants and boots. He had shoulder length blonde hair done up in a ponytail, forest green eyes, and a feature that made him stick out like a sore thumb, two long tapered ears that pointed at the ends. It was a disentangling characteristic shared by all members of his species.

"Good, you found it," the blonde man said pleasantly as he stepped up and stood among the surprised girls. Behind him was a circular staircase that descended so far down that it swallowed up all the moonlight.

"There you are." Teana grumbled and reached down to lift up a fist sized crystal stone. "Why do you need these anyway?"

"Ah." Yuno walked over and took the crystal. It was much heavier than it looked. "I was hoping you'd find some." With a simple pass of his hand, the stone lit up. "It's a sia'tar, or a crystal lamp in your language. We use these back home." The man smiled and waved it around. "Glad to see it still works. Much better than using torches."

"Says you," Teana grunted. "Nothing good comes from magic."

Yuno scratched the back of his head and tried not to meet the girl's piercing blue eyes. "If that was the case then coming here would be pointless."

Fate nodded, for once she agreed with him. "How did you find that?" The blonde pointed over at the opening.

"I didn't," Yuno said with a shrug. "Funny story. Here I was sitting here resting…"

"Resting!" Teana gave the man an incredulous look. "You just sat on your ass while I searched upstairs."

"Well…umm." Yuno smiled nervously. "Carrying you down here really did tire me out." He was telling the truth. To travel down the opening he needed to maintain an eagle form large enough to accomplish the task. It took a lot out of him, but he managed to carry Teana through safely. "It wasn't easy."

"Humph, you were the one who came to get me. Besides, I would have used Mirage if she wasn't looking after that stupid girl." Teana looked away in embarrassment. "I couldn't have been that heavy."

"No no," Yuno said hastily, "Of course not." He wouldn't mention that between her armor, weapons, and supply pack, she wasn't exactly a feather.

Nanoha got the man's attention, "You were saying." Yuno's one true fault was that he tended to get sidetracked a lot.

"Oh." Yuno cleared his throat. "There I was…sitting on my ass." He raised an eyebrow. "Is that the right phrasing?" His question was genuine, speaking Common meant changing the way he spoke it from one decade to the next. Maybe his context needed updating.

Teana growled. "Just get on with it!"

It was strange that a human girl one eighth his age could intimidate him, but the fiery redhead was best left unperturbed. "I was sitting there, over where the staircase directly opens up, and then suddenly….well it opens up." He had to laugh at that. "Next thing I know I'm rolling down a few stairs till I come to a sudden stop. There, looking down at me, is Lindy who thinks she just inadvertently killed me…"

"Wait." Fate held out a hand to pause him. "Lindy was already inside?"

Yuno nodded. "Apparently they got here and found the secret chamber long before I discovered the roof opening. Her and Signum were exploring the bottom chamber when we were looking around up here. They found me when they decided to get some fresh air."

Fate looked over at the secret staircase. "If they found you up here, then how come the door was closed when we found it?"

Yuno shrugged. "I closed it with a switch inside the stairwell."

Fate's eyes narrowed. "Can you open it from the inside?"

The Elva blinked in confusion, not seeing her point. "I suppose so. Why would the builders make a room they couldn't get out of?"

At the moment, Fate used her considerable will power to keep her voice even. "How come you didn't open it from the inside instead of making me look for the switch?"

The Elva shrugged with a smile. "If you didn't see it for yourself, how else could appreciate the craftsmanship?"

Nanoha stepped forward hastily. She sensed Fate was ready to do something she'd regret later. "Never mind that." She laughed nervously, drawing everyone's attention. Nanoha figured it was a good time to change the subject. "You shouldn't have left Teana up here alone, Yuno-kun. It's dangerous."

The redhead shrugged. "I can handle myself."

"True enough," Yuno said in agreement. "I wanted to take a look downstairs before I realized I needed the glow lamps."

"And both of them are down there right now?" Fate said, referring to members of team two.

"Yes."

"That's good then. Figures Lindy and Signum's team would make it here first." That wasn't too surprising. Being Elva, Signum and Lindy could transverse the ruins faster than all of them could—they said so themselves before everyone separated into two man groups.

"How about the last team?" Teana spoke up anxiously. She caught, way too late, how eager and nervous her voice sounded. When everyone looked towards her, she cleared her throat and tried again, "Team three, did they make it here yet?"

"No." Yuno shook his head. "Just team two and now team one."

"Oh." Teana fidgeted slightly, seemingly unsettled by that.

"I'm sure they're alright," Fate said softly, making eye contract with her apprentice.

"Humph." The teenager turned and looked away. "That stupid girl shouldn't even be here." No one said anything aloud, but they all knew who she was referring to.

"_She's a brave one though." _said a voice behind the group. Everyone simultaneously turned and looked at the newcomer.

Another armored woman, with a sword attached to her hip and a bow strapped to her back, stood at the entrance of the stairwell. She was athletic and tall with a figure that still retained her well rounded womanly curves—even in her silver plated red armor it was easy to see that. She also had long, pink-hued hair that was done up in a ponytail, oval shaped dark blue eyes, and a distinguishing feature that compared her to Yuno, a pair of tapered ears whose points poked out from her hair slightly.

The pink-haired Elva inclined her head in amusement. "Glad to see you all made it."

"Captain Opel." Teana bowed in acknowledgment, then straitened up. Signum Opel was perhaps the only non-human she truly respected.

"Teana," the Elva said with an impassive face, though a slight smirk appeared at the corner of her mouth. "you know better than all of us not to sell that girl short. She's earned her place with us."

Fate nodded and agreed with her pink-haired aide. "Despite your misgivings, Teana, we need all the help we can get. Right, Signum?"

"Wise as always, Lady Testarossa." Signum stepped up to the group and approached them. When she stopped, she crossed her arms and looked down at Bardiche. The dragon, which she noted was in his miniature form, sat vigilantly near Fate's leg. "And you." Signum raised an eyebrow at the black reptile. "Did Fate not tell you to patrol?"

Bardiche raised his head and cocked it sideways.

Signum nodded, as if listening to something the dragon was saying. After a time she let out a sigh. "You must learn to obey an order. Youth may be an excuse for a lesser brood, but as an Imperial you need to set an example. Mirage follows your lead, for Teana's sake you need to remember that."

The dragon snorted and turned away. Everyone else among the group didn't say anything abut the silent conversation. Signum, being an Elva, could communicate with a dragons in a ways no human could, that included just using her mind. Even Fate, who had a pact with Bardiche, could not do that.

"So." The oldest member out of all them looked up. She may have looked no older than twenty in human years, but Signum was by far their elder, and that included Yuno. "What are we waiting around for? Lets go." Signum clapped a closed fist over her chest and half bowed to the person with the highest authority. "By your will, Lady Testarossa."

The blonde nodded in acknowledgment and took the lead to the stairwell. "You're right. I'm anxious to get what we came for and return home."

"Thank the god and his holy light!" Teana said loudly. "The quicker we leave the Eastlands the better."

As the redhead passed Yuno, the man sighed sadly. "Would it make you less a Belkan to absorb some culture while your here?"

"Probably," Teana retorted as she began the long decent. "Stupid Elva." She knew Yuno's enhanced hearing could still hear that. When she was out of sight from the rest, she hastily added, "I didn't mean offense to you, Captain Opel."

"None taken," Signum said loudly enough to carry her voice downwards. She turned to Yuno. "Excuse her. Deep down she's a good girl."

Yuno waved it off. "I've spent too much time among humans to be upset over something like that."

"Still." Nanoha gave him an embarrassed smile. "How could a girl whose Fate-chan's apprentice turn out to be so rude?"

Signum snickered. "You didn't know Lady Testarossa before…she came to the Eastlands." What Signum really wanted to say was that she didn't know Lady Testarossa before she met Nanoha.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

The pinked-haired woman turned and started on the stairwell. "Lets just say she was a much harsher person than she is now."

"Are we talking about the same Fate-chan?" Nanoha pondered as she followed after the older woman. She couldn't imagine the blonde being anything but kind and considerate. Sure she was quiet and reserved at times, but the girl literally risked her life at a moments notice to save others.

After a minute, Yuno was the only one left in the large room. "Errr…guys?" The blonde Elva looked down at the heavy glow lamp in his hands, then he looked over at the large pile on the floor. It was at times like these Yuno was glad he could speak fluent Common; humans tended to invent colorful words suitable for moments just like this. "Oh crap."

00000000

"A…little…help…please," Yuno said between deep breaths. He didn't have the enhanced strength like the redhead did, and frankly, these lamps weighed a freaking ton. Luckily, his prayer was finally answered. "Huh?" The weight lifted from his arms, and the entire pile of glow lamps suspended in midair. They hovered there a moment before they gently laid themselves on the floor. Sighing in relief, Yuno raised his eyes to Nanoha, who currently had a hand extended outwards with an intricate symbol glowing in front of her palm. In the ancient language, the symbol meant 'levitate.' "Thanks for the help, but you shouldn't have done that."

The symbol faded and Nanoha retracted her hand. "Why not?"

Yuno quickly closed his eyes and covered them with an arm. "These things react to magic." No sooner had the words left his mouth that a chain reaction occurred; the entire pile of lamps suddenly flared to life.

"Ah!" The light flashed so brightly that Nanoha let out a yelp of pain. "Mou, Yuno-kun!" She gasped and covered her eyes. "Warn me quicker next time!"

"Sorry." Yuno apologized right before the light disappeared. Cautiously, he removed his arm to see what happened. Oddly enough, all the lamps had become silent. "How did you…" Yuno trailed off. To silence the lamps one would have to use a suppression spell, a very powerful one at that. Those were way out of Nanoha's league.

"Enough playing you two," said the good-natured voice of a woman. When Yuno and Nanoha turned to her, she smiled back at them.

The woman was elegance incarnate. She had long, exotically colored turquoise hair, eyes that burned with the same aquamarine hue, a beautiful face fit for a queen, long tapered ears adorned with fine gems, and the strangest tattoo etched on her forehead, all together it made Lindy both exotic and refined.

Yuno bowed to the elder in respect. "Thank you for your assistance, Matron."

At first glance she appeared to be in her mid-thirties but that was misleading. As an Elva, and for her to appear at that age, she was far older than any of them could fathom; even so, she didn't show it. Her mannerism tended to be that of a kind mother—a mother clad in the form fitting gray uniform of a Western officer.

"If you insist on calling me by a title," Lindy said admonishingly, "then my army rank will suffice."

Yuno had to censor himself before he said something unsightly. The woman was a matron, among his people there were few who earned as much respect as they did. That's why it vexed him that Lindy refused to speak their native language, abide by their customs, and most shockingly of all, identify herself with humans. Signum he could understand, but not Lindy. "As you wish, Commander."

"You two should come along," the woman said with her pleasant voice. "You might want to see what I uncovered."

"See what, Lindy-san?" Nanoha asked.

"You'll see." Lindy's hand quickly twitched by her side and a symbol formed like the one Nanoha had used earlier. With a slight shuffle, the crystal cones lifted from the floor and floated passed Lindy down the dark hallway. Every so often a cone would place itself into an alcove to light the way. "That's much better." Lindy motioned them to follow. "You're going to love this, come on."

As the two followed behind the woman, Nanoha whispered to Yuno nearby, "How does she do that?"

"Do what?"

"Cast a symbol with a flick of her finger." It wasn't the first time Nanoha witnessed the immense prowess that Lindy possessed, but as was each time, it never ceased to amaze her.

Yuno shrugged. "Even I'm in awe of her abilities."

"You two flatter me." Lindy let out a giggle, one that sounded far too carefree for a woman her age.

Nanoha kept forgetting how good the hearing was on an Elva. She figured the ears weren't just for show. "So what did you find down here?"

"You'll see." Lindy's answers were always aloof. It had become her way of life.

00000000

"Can you bring the light a little closer?" Fate said without turning around. She was currently looking at some strange fossil remnants on the floor when a light source appeared behind her. The blonde had originally figured Lindy and the rest had come back with the glow lamps, but when she didn't receive an answer, she turned around. "I…see." Three lamps floated into the room suspended in midair. Thanks to her training, Fate could literally taste the magic coming off of them.

Teana could taste it as well. "Lindy's magic. All her spells reek with tons of mana. Nanoha and Yuno's are more subtle." She hoped her assessment would impress her master and teacher.

Fate nodded in acknowledgement. "You're getting better." A moment later Lindy, Yuno, and Nanoha all entered the room. Fate was ready to greet them, but her voice suddenly caught in her throat. The soft glow of the lamps reflected off of Nanoha's silken white robes and cast the brunette in an ethereal light. The effect it created around the girl threatened to take her breath away.

"Beautiful isn't she?" said Signum's amused voice to the right.

"Verily so," Fate agreed. Nanoha was definitely pleasant to the eyes. "Huh?" The blonde suddenly came back to reality, it was then she realized what she admitted to.

Signum smiled indulgently. "You surprise me, Lady Testarossa. I was almost convinced you had ice running through your veins."

"I…" Fate didn't know what to say. Her friend had finally caught her with that one. "Enough, Signum. It's not what you think."

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," Signum said smugly. She leaned over and whispered in blonde's ear, "How does the phrase go, 'you're only human.'"

Nanoha approached the two women. "What are you two talking about?" She noted the way Fate blushed a deep scarlet and turned away. "Hmm." She moved with her to make eye contact. "So?"

"It's…it's nothing." Fate cast a glance over her shoulder and spotted Signum giving her a knowing smirk. Without saying a word, the pink-haired girl turned and walked off to join the rest. At the other side, Lindy was ushering everyone over there to show them something. "We should go see what that's all about."

It was an obvious change of subject but Nanoha relented out of courtesy. "Lead the way, Fate-chan."

Lindy was pleased to see the last two girls fall in with the rest. "So everyone here?"

"Except for group three," Teana said quickly.

Lind smiled. "I'm sure they are fine."

"Errr," Teana groaned and crossed her arms, "why does everyone keep saying that? It's not like I'm worried or anything. I was just pointing it out."

Everyone snickered at the redhead's expense with the exception of Yuno. He was too busy running his hand along the panel behind Lindy. It was the reason he never heard a single word anyone had said since entering the strange chamber. "Did you uncover this?" He turned to the older Elva behind him. "I didn't see it when I was here earlier."

The turquoise-haired woman smiled. "It was covered with a lot of dirt. If you didn't know where to look I doubt you'd find it at first glance."

Fate raised an eyebrow. "And you did?"

"You could say that." Lindy shrugged, stepping forward to slap Yuno's hand away from the stone. "Don't poke around with that." The male archeologist was playing around with a delicate interface that was built in the days of the ancient empires. "If you break it we won't be able to get in. At least not without a ton of explosives."

Yuno hummed in thought, rubbing his hand at the same time. "You're right. My apologies." It had to be explosives. No amount of magic could penetrate that stone; it would simply absorb mana like a sponge. "Wait…open what?"

"What we came here for I hope," Signum deadpanned.

Yuno turned back to panel. It was a runic interface. They were common enough among buildings back home, but those were simple three node combination locks. This thing had twenty-eight. "Would anyone happen to have the combination?"

A collective groan resounded throughout the gathering. "You've got to be kidding." Teana let out a sigh. "Aren't you the expert?"

"I agree," Fate said wearily. "You assured me you could get us what we were looking for."

"True," Yuno said nervously, "But not everything has gone according to plan. How was I supposed to know…"

Nanoha held out her hand to get everyone's attention. "Yuno is doing his best. It's not going to make it any easier if you gang up on him."

Signum crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. "If he can't get us what we want, then this whole thing has been a gigantic waste of time." The pink-haired woman narrowed her eyes at the blonde Elva. "Milady enlisted your aid on faith. I hope you won't tell me, after coming all this way, that it was misplaced." Her blue eyes bore no humor with her words. It added a wave of tension that everyone in the group felt.

"It's okay, Signum." Fate couldn't believe she was ready to say this, "I have…faith in Yuno. He won't let us down." Three set of eyes looked towards her incredulously. Signum for one, because her lady's vote of confidence was unexpected, but the other two were Teana and Bardiche. Nanoha, on the other hand, wasn't so much surprised as she was grateful for the support.

As for Lindy, she smiled approvingly. "That's good to hear." The older woman gave the blonde a look that resembled a mother being proud of her child. "There is still hope left in this world if when a Rossa puts her trust in an Elva."

Fate didn't really understand the vague comment, but she accepted the praise all the same. "So Yuno, can you figure it out?"

The male Elva swallowed hard. "I can try." Their expectations were unsettling to say the least.

"That won't be necessary," Lindy announced, drawing everyone's attention back to her. Ignoring their curious stares, she stepped up to the panel and began pressing buttons. Each touch of her finger injected a trace amount of mana into the crystalline surface. It not only supplied the mechanism with power, but it also supplied the combination.

"Lindy-san?" Nanoha's voice registered the surprise everyone felt.

Everyone except for Yuno. The archeologist, with all of his years of study and knowledge, was beyond surprised. "How could you possibly know the combination? Just how old are you?"

The older Elva wagged a finger on her free hand. "Haven't you been among humans long enough to know it's rude to ask a lady her age?" Her whimsical voice also carried an undertone with it. Basically she was telling him the answer wasn't important right now. After placing a few more combinations, Lindy paused. "…How did that go again…" She touched a finger to her chin in thought. It was a tense moment while everyone waited for her to continue. A minute went by, then another, and she still couldn't remember. Lindy remained that way while she hummed quietly.

Several more long minutes passed by, and the waiting started to grate on everyone's nerves. Luckily, someone decided to break the silence.

"_So this is where everyone was at," _said a boisterous female voice from behind the group, its unexpectedness effectively startled everyone in the process. While the more seasoned members showed their surprise by flinching slightly, Teana, as usual, overreacted with zeal.

In a heartbeat, a twirling noise filled the air between the group and the newcomer. For a brief moment silence returned before it was broken again by a started yelp. "T-T-Tea! That almost hit me." The newcomer stared on in wide-eyed shock. A centimeter from the blue-haired girl's face rested one of Teana's daggers.

The girl was an unusual sort, around the same age and build as Teana with the strangest color of hair possessed by a human, a rare shade of dark blue. It was strange by a Westerner's standards, but the girl was an Eastlander like Nanoha. For them the only strange thing about the girl was the way she dressed: long armored boots like Signum's, black leather tunic and shirt like Teana's, silver metal spaulders like Signum's. The only thing that seemed to be her own was the single gauntlet she wore on her right arm. The thing was a wicked obsidian hand comprised of elongated knuckle spikes. As a petite girl, she didn't look strong enough to pack it with much of a punch, but she fooled people in that regard. Anyone who saw her in a fight could see her considerable agility compensated for lack of physical strength.

"You took years off my life, Tea." The dagger, amazingly enough, was lodged deep into the stone wall.

Teana thanked god she pulled her hand at the last second. "Subaru…you…I…don't sneak up on us like that!" she finally said in exasperation. "You're just lucky I missed."

Subaru laughed nervously as she slid away from the weapon that almost replaced her nose. In hindsight, Tea never missed; it just meant the other girl saw her in the nick of time. "I'm okay." The blue-haired girl waved it off. She was a little embarrassed by everyone's attention.

A shuffling off to Subaru's side made everyone look down. There, in all his tiny glory, was another winged reptile. While Bardiche was a full grown dragon—the size of a dog in his miniature form—this dragon was still a baby because it was no bigger than a cat in its small form. That wasn't the only difference between the two. Unlike Fate's trusted companion, this one wasn't adorned with obsidian scales. Instead, from its tail to its single horned head, the tiny dragon was layered with bronze colored scales. Furthermore, its wings and claws were also less developed than its elder.

"Mirage!" Teana let out a cry that sounded similar to a girl finding her long lost pet. "Come here."

At the girl's beckon, the little dragon bounded across the floor and leaped into the redhead's arms. Whilst there, Teana cooed to the little thing affectionately. The image that everyone witnessed was very much at odds with the girl that everyone knew. For one she was smiling, secondly, she addressed the bronze creature in a voice that held none of her usual steel. "Do you have any idea how mad I am right now?" she admonished the dragon softly. In response, Mirage let out a coo, its ability to communicate in words hadn't developed yet.

Subaru let out a snicker. "Come on, Tea. You are acting like you're happier to see the dragon than you are to see me."

"Humph." The redhead nuzzled the small, and in her opinion, fragile creature. "I am."

"That hurts." The blue-haired girl groaned but showed no real sign of being offended. Deep down Subaru knew better.

Lindy hated interrupting the two girls, but never the less, she had to ask, "Where's my little boy?"

"_Right here, Commander,"_ said a man who stepped out from the dark hallway.

He was almost has tall as Yuno with short, dark black hair, a build of a soldier with a countenance to match, and steely blue eyes. He projected the image of a fighter ready for battle; made even more so with his black trench coat and silver plated armor that fortified his body. It was built in a similar fashion to Fate's, but his was far more thicker with a gray color scheme instead of black.

"And I'm not a little boy," The twenty-five year old man grunted. In addition to a sinister looking lance that was strapped to his back, the black-haired man was also holding a bulky sack full of objects.

"To me you will always be my little boy," Lindy retorted, much to man's chagrin. "What's in the sack, Chrono?"

The solider looked over at Subaru in annoyance, the Eastlander smiled back nervously. "Souvenirs."

"Souvenirs?" Yuno repeated with a snicker. "Since when do you collect trinkets, or do you plan to put them on a shelf with your war medals?"

"Stowe it, Ferret Boy!" After the booby-traps, cave ins, and general pains in the ass, Chrono didn't have the patience to deal with, in his opinion, the most annoying bastard in the entire world. "I swear you're the reason why Belkans hate non-humans."

"They hate you as well," Yuno said in a scholarly way, "last time I checked." He stared at the man's ears, while appearing human in terms of length, they were pointed at the tips. It was a clear sign of the Chrono's mixed heritage. "Belkans probably despise mixed bloods more than the…"

"Shut up." Chrono narrowed his eyes.

"I'm just saying," The blonde retorted, his voice growing irritated; there just wasn't any dealing with the other man. He definitely inherited the human temperament. "Besides, isn't grave robbing considered a sin with the human god you worship?"

"Okay, that's it!" Chrono dropped the sack of trinkets, which in turn it earned a squeal of surprise from Subaru as she dived for the bag—whatever was in there had belonged to her. "I've had enough you." The man unhooked the spear from his back.

Everyone knew what was going to happen next, it happened every time. The two men postured in each other's face, Fate let out a sigh, Lindy shook her head with disapproval, Teana rolled her eyes, Signum shrugged, Subaru found an excuse to do something else, and Nanoha played the most important role of all, "Mou, that's enough! Must you always fight?"

"He started it!" Both men said at the same time like little children.

"I don't care who started it. We don't have time to watch you two have a…" Nanoha tried to remember that phrase.

"A pissing contest," Signum finished for her. She had her eyes closed while she relaxed against wall. The pink-haired Elva could care less about the whole argument.

"Right." Nanoha laughed nervously. "One of those."

Yuno decided to be the bigger man this time. "Postpone till later?"

Chrono nodded while glaring at the other man. "Definitely." Just like that, it was over.

"Not exactly a peace treaty, but it works." Fate turned back to the oldest Elva. "Can we open the door now?"

Subaru watch as Teana retrieved her dagger. She marveled at how effortlessly the redhead yanked the blade from the stone. "Door?"

"Ya," Teana pointed her free hand in the direction of the opposite wall—her other arm was still firmly wrapped around Mirage. "We ran into a dead end with some kind of magical lock."

"Neat." The blue-haired girl picked the sack off the floor. Subaru struggled a bit at first, but she finally managed to sling it over her shoulder. It impressed her how easy Chrono had made it seem; then again he had the same powers that Tea and Fate-san possessed.

"Stupid, if we can't crack it open this whole trip is pointless."

"I wouldn't say that." Subaru turned and gave her a winning smile. "We got to know one another better."

"Like I said," The redhead narrowed her eyes. "Pointless."

"You're so mean, Tea," Subaru said jokingly. The other girl could rant and rave all she wanted but deep down Tea cared.

"Whatever." Teana looked over at the sack. "So what's in the bag?"

"Stuff," The other girl said evasively.

"Stuff?" Again the redhead's eyes narrowed. She bent down and placed Mirage on the floor. "Give me that." With lightning speed, she leaped up and snatched the sack from the other girl.

"Hey, give it back!"

Teana ignored the sapphire-haired girl. With a tug of the drawstring, she peeked inside. "Toys?" She turned and raised an eyebrow.

"They're not toys. Those are works of art." A blush worked its way on Subaru's face. She walked around and shuffled through the sack in Teana's hands. "See." She pulled out one of the figurines. It was a tiny dragon statuette crafted in alabaster stone. "Aren't they neat looking?"

Teana blinked. "I…guess."

"Exactly," Subaru reiterated with renewed excitement. "They were scattered all over the place a few rooms back. Can you believe that? Just look at the craftsmanship! It would be a shame to leave them buried up here."

"That explains the sack." Teana shrugged. "But Chrono went along with it?"

A smirk appeared on the mischievous Eastlander's face. "Half are his."

"What?" Teana turned to the tall man in surprise.

"Subaru!" Chrono called out near the wall. Him and the rest were silently watching the two teenagers. That was until the girl blurted that out.

"How cute." Nanoha gave the black-haired man a smile. "I didn't know Chrono-kun still liked toys."

"They're not toys!" Subaru and Chrono said at the same time.

"Interesting." Yuno examined the figurine in Subaru's hand. "Dragons depicted with white scales."

For the first time Signum showed in interest in the conversation. "Whoever heard of a white dragon?"

In the world there was only two types of dragon. The more common sun brood—a flight that ranged from earthly brown to glistening gold—it was the flight that consisted of ninety-eight percent of the world's winged reptiles. The final type was none other than the Imperial brood. They were the dragons no one could confuse with the others: their sizes could double that of the sun brood, their eyes glowed with a majestic gold, and their obsidian scales were stronger than the toughest steel. Imperials were called the king of dragons for a good reason. After them and the suns, any other flights were nothing but fairytales.

"Such fantastical toys," Signum said dismissively.

All the Western born members of the group agreed, everyone but Lindy. She simply stood there with a sad smile. "What compelled you to take them, Chrono?"

The man sighed. "I got them for the twins. After being away for so long I wanted to bring them something when I returned." Everyone gave the man a smirk, even the normally unemotional Fate and Signum. "By god, it's not a big deal. If any of you had children you'd understand."

"Awe!" Lindy reached over and pinched his cheek. "You're such a good father."

"Thanks," the man deadpanned, taking the humiliation like a trooper. "Are you finished?"

"Just remember to bring Amy one. She likes that sort of thing."

Chrono brushed her hand away band rubbed his cheek. "Hah. Knowing Amy she'll want a real one."

Teana laughed. "Good luck on that." Needless to say, it was highly unlikely. The redhead turned to the girl next to her. "Here." She reached over and took the dragon statue then placed it back in the sack. Without a word, Teana hoisted the entire thing over her shoulder and turned back to join the group.

"Thank you." Subaru smiled gratefully, following after the girl. Tea was being kind again without saying a word. "You're so cute, Tea."

"Shut up!"

When everyone was gathered around Lindy, the turquoise-haired woman grabbed everyone's attention. "So we are finally all here."

"May we continue then," Fate said politely.

"Of course!" Lindy spun around back to the panel. "Now where was I…" Without waiting for a reply, she started over from the beginning. She's was grateful no one took the time to ask her how she knew the right combination.

"Is that the lock thingy?" Subaru whispered in Teana's ear. She noted, with satisfaction, that her breath on the other girl's ear made the redhead shiver.

"Yes." A blush worked its way on Teana's cheeks.

"Shhh!" four separate people said at same time. The last thing anyone wanted was for Lindy to get distracted again.

They must have jinxed themselves.. "What was it again…" Lindy said aloud with a finger on her chin in thought. A collective sigh resounded from behind her. "…just kidding." Lindy smiled to herself; the kids were so easy at times. She quickly finished inputting the final rune. "There." With one last projection of mana, it was complete. Suddenly three glowing circles appeared before the panel.

"Now what?" Chrono nudged his mother's shoulder.

"The most important part." The password Lindy knew, but this new lock was something only one person in all the world could break. Lindy turned to the girl garbed in the temple robes of her people. "Everything we have put you through has led to this point. Please come here, Nanoha."

The brunette swallowed. She found it hard to believe that she was as special as everyone kept telling her, but now was the time to prove herself. As Fate-chan was fond of saying, 'put out or yield.'

Lindy nodded. "It can only be you."

Nanoha nodded. She was ready to step forward but was stopped by an unexpected hand on her shoulder. She suddenly found herself staring into beautiful, yet sad red eyes. Fate didn't say anything, but those red eyes were telling her how sorry she was for everything. "What do you need me to do?" Nanoha said firmly, placing a hand over Fate's. She hoped that somehow the blonde could feel her gesture through the metal gauntlets.

"Simple." Lindy backed away to let the human approach to the rotating circles. "Just place an arm through there."

"And then what?"

"Nothing. It will do the rest."

Nanoha nodded and drew back her sleeve. Tentatively, she began to enter her arm through the circles.

Lindy just remembered more about the process. "It also may sting a little bit."

"Ahh." Nanoha groaned in pain. Lindy-san's warning came too late; the pain took her by surprise.

Wide eyed, the blonde stepped forward to assist, but a raised hand from Nanoha held her in place.

"I'm okay," she told the blonde. Everyone, including Nanoha, watched in amazement as three holes opened up on her wrist. Through each hole a stream of blood poured from her skin into the three rings. When it finally stopped, the holes on her arm sealed themselves. "What…" Nanoha cringed then trailed off. The rings glowed brighter and began to rotate in the air. At the same time, a line of ancient runes began to light up along the surface of the door.

"That will be enough." Lindy pulled the brunette back from the circles. "It worked. It's reading your blood as we speak."

"Lets see if the rumors are true then," Yuno said with wonder. "If you do indeed possess the their blood, it will open."

Lindy nodded in agreement, there was more to it than that but she left it unsaid. She needn't worry, sure enough, Nanoha was the real deal.

Everyone stepped back when the ancient stone door began to grate noisily. It seemed it was opening, although far too slowly for everyone's taste, but after a time it finally did. The first thing everyone did was brace themselves against a sudden gust of wind that blew from the opened chamber. It lasted only a second, but it left everyone shivering. The air was freezing.

"We need a light," Fate said to break the awestruck silence that fell on the room. Even Lindy, who always seemed to be in control, was stunned speechless. Inside the room it was pitch black, unnaturally so. Not even Fate's enhanced night vision could penetrate the darkness. From the looks on Signum, Chrono, and Teana's faces, neither could they.

Lindy waved a finger and formed a seal. Two of the lamps in back began moving forward. "This should help…" Her words fell dead on her tongue. Two new light sources appeared from inside the unnatural darkness. The lights were glowing crimson red.

Nanoha, who happened to be the person at the front, yelped in alarm. The two glowing red lights had disappeared, then reappeared again. It was then she realized they weren't lights at all. "Err..." She backed away slowly. The red orbs were enormous reptilian eyes.


	2. Chapter 1: Old World

A/N: Another long update. As you can see, this isn't the prologue anymore—which was a taste of the adventure to come—but the real beginning to a 'very' long story. The first chapter is called Old World, and it deals mainly with the first of the two protagonists. It has a companion chapter right after it called New World that deals with the other, so stay tuned.

Disclaimer - Who really cares about who really owns the rights to what? Oh, and if you don't like yuri related themes, you're probably not going to appreciate this story.

Chapter 1: The Old World

_Twelve._

_Ten now._

_The ninth was good, but we're better._

_Only eight left._

_Finally the seventh is down, but it cost us._

_They're reorganizing._

"Damn Belkans." They were making this a hard fight. The enemy leader was good. "We need to press in groups!" Chrono knew their element of surprise was over now. The real fight had just begun.

A fellow rider swiftly passed over and signaled to him—he was dressed in the same silver armor and trench coat used by all Ecclesian knights. Chrono quickly signaled for the man and his mount to fall in behind. Even if they outnumbered the enemy three-to-one, it was still an even match. Those Belkans only fielded the finest of the Sun Brood, and their gold dragons could easily take on three of their own Browns.

"Form up!" he yelled from atop Durandal. The proud Brown he rode was riddled with scars, but those were from previous fights. So far it avoided any damage from this engagement, and he wanted to keep it that way. "Don't let them break out." His flight formed a cantabrian circle around the Golds; any Belkan who tried to move out from its center would be swarmed instantly. It was best to use their superior numbers to defeat them.

"_By your will, Captain," _came the varied acknowledgments of his subordinates. Their voices, amazingly enough, carried in from the wind. That was all Durandal's doing, the Brown had tuned his senses to pick up on of his fellow Ecclesians.

The formation held for a time before one cocky Belkan tried to break out. The enemy knight, adorned in the obsidian plate armor of the Empire, pulled the Gold up to scatter two of his men near the mouth of the formation. The Belkan went for the Ecclesian dragoon on the right first. In a solid arch, the claws of the huge Gold raked a long gash through the neck of the smaller reptile. It disoriented the Brown but his fellow dragoon came to his aid; a snap hiss, issued from the dragon's maw, preceded a stream of fire that shot towards the Gold's rider. At the last second the wings of the larger beast flew up and batted the flames away—the best move since the Sun dragons were virtually immune to fire.

Angered, the Gold countered by latching on to the smaller Brown; its huge wings then pulled them both higher while its head swept around to catch the rider. The Belkan was trying to use the easiest way to take an enemy out of the fight. Dragons could fight for hours before they succumbed to their wounds and fell from the skies, but riders, on the hand, could be dropped by a single bite. The pact formed by dragoons was a double edged sword. When a rider died, so did their dragon.

In the nick of time the Brown kicked the larger beast away to protect its master. Undeterred, the Gold went forward again, its large tail knocking the second Brown away so it could focus on the primary target.

"Foolish Belkan," Chrono said aloud, Durandal grunting in agreement. The dragon being overpowered only appeared to be in trouble, it purposely allowed the large Gold to go after the rider. The knight, he couldn't remember the man's name, was pulling off the perfect feint.

The very moment the Gold reached its head around to strike, was the very moment it was trapped by the Brown's foreleg. The Ecclesian wasted no time shoving his lance into the soft underneck of the Gold. Not only did it pierce the most vulnerable part of the dragon, it effectively threw the enemy back in a spasm of pain.

In perfect unison, two other Browns swept in and bellowed the purest stream of fire from their maws. The Belkan, who was unable to control his thrashing mount, could only watch as two flames washed over and incinerated him.

_Six left._

The battle was theirs for the taking, and to show it, Durandal and the rest of the Browns roared in unison. All the dragoons knew it was time to end this.

Chrono pulled up on the reins to signal a dive; he would break the Belkans in this next assault for sure. "Aim for the leader, Durandal." He could only catch glimpses here and there, but there was definitely something strange about the enemy leader. That man didn't wear the normal Belkan colors, instead the rider wore silver and reds. Something about that triggered caution in the back of Chrono's mind, but he chose to ignore it.

As one, the Browns banked left and headed for the center. They didn't catch the Belkans unprepared this time, because the sky instantly lit up with a screen of fire—there were only six Golds left, but they shot twice the amount of fireballs as the Browns were throwing back.

He was impressed, but Durandal wasn't. "Prepare yourself!" the brown dragon roared as he waded through the rivers of flame with ease. Sadly, some of Chrono's other men weren't so lucky; five were driven off and two more riders were downed.

In seconds the two sides finally collided. No more formations, no more ranged bombardments, and no more strategies, the entire host had dissolved into a chaotic melee: snapping maws, raking claws, streams of fire, and the most effective of them all, precision attacks from the riding dragoons.

The Belkan captain suddenly pulled away from the other dragoons and headed right towards him; it seemed his strategy was being mirrored. "Halt." He pulled Durandal up to a hover, it would have been foolish to charge the larger Gold straight on. In an unspoken agreement, the enemy leader approached and squared off with him. The man, or woman now that he got a good look at her, only hovered a few meters away with her mount ready to strike. "An old fashioned duel then." Both side's fellow dragoons recognized it for what it was, so they kept their distance. They had their own battles to worry about.

The enemy leader fielded a Gold that was a third bigger than Durandal. From the look in that beast's golden eyes, it was an old one not easily tricked. Its riding dragoon didn't seem to be a stranger to combat either.

"This should be good." Chrono clapped the saddle's stirrup and Durandal surged forward. His Brown attempted to disrupt the Belkan by shooting a fireball, but the Gold didn't even flinch as it rose up and took the flames directly in the chest, harmlessly. "Pull back!" he yelled, not a moment too soon. The Gold whipped its tail around in a move that would have crippled Durandal's left wing had he not reared away.

Chrono thought he had a second to recover, but something shot forward heading straight for his head. If the sun hadn't reflected off the metal he would have missed it, so maybe god was looking out for him. He just managed to dodge the arrow as it clipped his helmet. "Damn!" Growling in rage, he tore the damaged headpiece from his face. Looking over at the enemy leader, he saw she was holding a bow with both hands—it took an incredible amount of balance to use a bow during flight, but the Belkan did it effortlessly. "You're good!" He didn't think the female knight could hear him, but she suddenly nodded back.

"You as well." said the smooth voice of a woman. "I never miss. Your reflexes are good for a human."

It was an interesting statement coming from a Belkan, and that's when it hit him. Silver and red armor, flawless riding technique, ambidextrous control, this dragoon wasn't a Belkan at all, she was a Wolkenritter—a clan of Elva who served the Empire as dragon handlers. They were the Empire's loyalist subjects, the Elva's most hated traitors, but more importantly they were the finest dragoons in the entire world. He suddenly swallowed hard, this was the first time he felt unsure of himself since the battle started.

"Lets have at it," the Wolkenritter announced.

With a nod, Chrono pressed forward. This time he tilted Durandal so he could use his lance as they rode pass, it was his mount's job to keep from getting snagged in the process. Time moved slowly when they finally came into contact.

He watched as the maw of the Gold swung around to catch him, but Durandal's hind leg slammed it away in the nick of time. This finally brought him into striking distance of the Wolkenritter. Chrono pushed out with his lance, hoping to god it would take the enemy leader by surprise. He had no so such luck. A flash of steel and a broadsword—a strange weapon for a dragon rider—flew out and batted his lance away. It hit so hard that his spear flew out of his hand and tumbled away into the sky. He knew he was in trouble then.

The girl's sword changed its route to strike at him directly this time, and it would have decapitated him too, had Durandal not saved his life by pushing the gold dragon away. Again, he circled around and came to a hover.

"You fight well," the Wolkenritter said in respect. She finally took off her helmet and let it fall away. Shaking her head, it caused a stream of pink hair to ripple in the wind. It was then the rider's blue eyes met his. "Captain Opel, Forty-Ninth Imperial Dragoons." The girl brought the sword to her face in salute.

Chrono's suspicion had proven correct, the enemy leader was an Elva. "Captain Harlaown, Eighteenth Federation Dragoons." He brought a hand to his chest and returned the sign of respect. For better or worst, he only had one last run left. "I might die here, but so will you." He motioned to the fight around them. It was all but over now; out of the last six Belkans, only three remained. Two of those were being swarmed by the remainder of his men.

00000000

"I'm always prepared to die for the Empire," Signum retorted calmly, her every word laced with steel. She readied her weapon and turned her mount forward. The Ecclesian had fought well, the best fight she had in a long while, but it was time to end it. Two Browns were already coming to aid their captain. "Come, Laevatein, let us show this pup what a real fight is." She could sense her Gold agree wholeheartedly.

In a single minute the momentum of the entire battle shifted. It wasn't the Ecclesians, who had numerical superiority, that gained the upper hand, nor was it Signum's valiant efforts that altered the outcome. A new player had arrived on the field.

A terrifying roar, loud enough to completely halt all the fighting, sounded from above. Both she and the Ecclesian captain had to tear their eyes off each other to look upward. What they saw made them gasp in surprise. It was large, easily twice as big as Laevatein, and the outline briefly blotted out the sun when it passed through the clouds.

Signum smiled when she caught a glimpse of the obsidian colored scales. Only one side, or more specifically one family, rode atop the Imperial dragon. "Seems you're outmatched now." She urged her mount to continue the charge, and it gladly did so with a roar that shook the saddle.

In took a mere second before Laevatein slammed against the enemy dragoon. It was supposed to be a glancing attack, but the Brown latched on and a vicious melee broke out. To the smaller dragon's credit, he kept his master from getting into range of Signum's weapon. That only cost the beast more punishment as Laevatein tore into its more vulnerable spots. While they were stuck in their aerial deadlock, she glanced in the direction of the approaching Browns. It was then a large shadow fell over them.

The silver knights atop the Browns weren't fools. They knew what was coming for them and they scattered to get away, but the Imperial was faster. The great beast had already fallen on the first one, snagged it with its large claws, and tore the wings right off the Brown's back. In one swift motion the Imperial discarded the crippled dragon, and soared over to catch the second Brown unawares. This time the black dragon started to inhale deeply. She knew what was going to happen next—only the fire from an Imperial could harm a Sun Brood. Sure enough, the entire Brown was soon shrouded in a flame that could melt stone. Signum turned away from the sight, she had her own battle to deal with.

"Now," She commanded. She heard her dragon grunt before it kick the Brown away. No more than a few meters away, Laevatein unleashed a blast of fire. The ball soared through the air and hit its mark, catching the Brown by surprise. Laevatein took the opportunity to dive under Durandal. With their backs now facing each other, Signum could finally strike directly at the rider.

With a flick her wrist, her blade lashed out and caught the man in the shoulder, splashing blood on her face in the process—she regretted discarding her helmet now. Signum was ready to strike again, but Laevatein suddenly flipped over to grab the Brown's neck in his maw, effectively pinning the smaller beast under him.

"Good, now hold him!" Sliding to her right, she peered down at the Ecclesian, blue eyes meeting blue as the man returned her gaze. "God be with you," she said firmly. Her thumb unlocked the sword and turned it into a long chain of blades. Whipping it back, Signum prepared for the final blow.

"Stop!" said a voice from above. It was a familiar voice laced with command.

She froze, her eyes never once leaving the Ecclesian's. "You owe her your life." The man was terrified and for good reason. "Fall back, Laevatein."

The large dragon growled and bit down hard enough to knock out the smaller Brown. He then released it and let it tumble from the sky with its rider in tow. Signum scowled, but her expression faded as she watched what happened next.

The obsidian dragon quickly dived passed them and grabbed the falling Brown with one hand, while the other claw reached out and captured the rider. With both of them secure, the Imperial flew off in the direction of the Belkan's forward base.

"…Captain Opel."

She shook her head and turned to her left, hovering there was the last surviving member of her Wing. His armor was badly burned, and his dragon near death, but at least he was still alive. "Report?" The word came out of her mouth automatically.

The man brought a shaky hand to his chest. "It's just us, Captain. That Imperial drove off the other Ecclesians."

She retracted her sword and slid it back into the sheath. "Return to base then." She watched as the other knight left. When he was finally out of sight, she looked down towards the surface. Dragons, men, and burned foliage littered the ground everywhere. It was a horrifying sight to witness, and Signum knew she caused a fair share of it, but that was her job. "What the hell is the princess doing out here?"

00000000

_Why must this madness continue? _

Killing shouldn't have bothered her after all these years, but it still did.

_Even our enemies don't deserve this._

A groan drew her attention to the brown dragon grasped in one of Bardiche's claws. The winged reptile was starting to regain consciousness. "Lets leave it." She directed her mount to the nearby hill. With a gust of wind, her large companion hovered to stop.

"We should destroy it, Sir." Bardiche unceremoniously dumped the smaller dragon on the hillside. "Why let it live?"

Fate patted the side of her mount, a creature almost as big as the hill it hovered against. "How can we get this Ecclesian to cooperate if we destroy his pact?" Her question was self-explanatory, Bardiche knew full well what killing the mount of a dragon rider would do to the man's psyche.

Bardiche grunted and moved a claw up to show her. Inside was the Ecclesian knight they spared and an officer from the looks of him. He had lost enough blood to render him unconscious. "He might be unusable either way." The Ecclesian's pact with his Brown was healing the wounds, but the injury had come from Signum's blade. He was lucky to still have an arm.

Fate sighed. "He'll live." She pulled up on Bardiche's rein and together they continued on.

_I hope. _

00000000

It was late in the evening by the time she reached the encampment. Signum's unit had crafted a well hidden base two days ride from the Ecclesian capital of Mid-Childa, right under their enemy's noses. It was an impressive feat to pull off in the heart of Federation territory.

Fate waited patiently while Bardiche let out a series of calls that signaled she was a fellow Belkan, if riding a black dragon wasn't already enough. When a horn finally sounded back, she circled around for a landing. The base camp was easy to make out despite the setting sun. There were rows of torch light aligned by each different area; the large tents for officers and knights, multi-sectioned tents for regular personnel, and her target, the brightly lit holding pens near the southern part of the base. It was disheartening to see all of them were empty save for one.

_If I had only come sooner... _

Her heart went out to Signum, she had lost a lot of good dragoons on this assignment. Maybe her decision to come here would do something to stop all this needless killing.

Fate leaned over and patted her dragon's side. "How is he?"

Bardiche held up a closed hand to check his cargo "Alive for the moment, but I can't say he'll stay that way."

"What do you mean?"

"It's his blood." The black dragon growled in contempt. "He's human…but not quite."

"A mixed blood?" She wasn't too surprised. Amalgams—the rare half-breeds between humans and non-humans—were not uncommon among the Ecclesians. Their people had strange practices in general, and it was partly the reason for the war. "Well…it doesn't matter. " Already there were soldiers on the ground preparing for her arrival. "We needed an Ecclesian and we have one."

_I just hope this amalgam can be reasoned with, _Fate thought apprehensively.

She jerked on the reins and brought Bardiche to the ground in a single dive. Her landing, as always, was perfect, but that didn't prevent the Belkan soldiers from backing away in alarm. They probably never saw an Imperial dragon up close before.

Bardiche capitalized on their fear and reared back to growl. It effectively made all the ground personnel jump back even more.

"Must you always do that?" She knew her mount enjoyed the terrified looks from the surrounding men. With the exception of herself, her apprentice, and her former master, the dragon treated everyone else with undisguised contempt.

The veteran Belkans quickly recovered from their embarrassing display and circled the great beast. "Your Highness!" one of the soldiers shouted. He, like the others, was wearing a cloth uniform devoid of armor and weapons—a normal sight on support personnel. "Thank the one true god you returned!" All of them crossed a fist over their chests, and kneeled.

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Even after nineteen years as a princess, she never really got used to all the protocol. "I am well." She clapped a fist over her armored chest. "Praise be the Empress!"

"_Praise be the Empress!" _retorted every soldier automatically as they stood from the ground—it was a common phrase used when Belkans would meet and depart from one another.

Fate let go of the dragon's rein and unbuckled the leg straps securing her to the saddle. "Fetch a medic and have guards prepared. I have a prisoner that needs tending." At her direction, the large dragon opened his palm and laid the Ecclesian on the ground.

Two soldiers immediately rushed over to check on the man. One of the Belkans, an officer, let out a growl that bordered on pure hatred.

"What is it?" She narrowed her eyes at the man, they weren't going to make this easy.

"He's…not human, Your Highness." The officer kneeled and pushed aside some of the Ecclesian's hair, what he said was true, the enemy dragoon had pointed ears. Not as long as an Elva's, but he definitely possessed their blood. "Let me have the honor of dealing with him myself." The officer pulled a knife and pressed it to the man's throat.

That was the reaction she'd expected. Imperial orders had decreed all non-humans were to be killed on sight with the exception of Wolkenritters. Even Fate's authority as a princess couldn't supersede that, at least not for another year and a half. "Stand down," she said firmly. "Abide by my command."

"But…" The officer, like his fellow Belkans around the clearing, gave her a shocked expression. "He's impure! We should kill him right no…" The man's objection was suddenly cut off when a dagger was pressed under his throat. Stealthily, a pigtailed redhead stepped out from behind him.

"Any man disobeying the imperial family is considered treason, whether she holds the throne or not." The redhead pulled the man's head back, earning a yelp from the officer. "You know the punishment for treason don't you?" Her voice was cold and without mercy.

"I-I-I'm sorry. Forgive my impudence."

Fate shook her head, this wasn't the best way to resolve the situation. The Forty-Ninth Dragoons had been through enough without needing to deal with this as well. "Enough, Teana. Let him go."

Unlike the officer, Teana knew how to follow orders. "Aye, Master." The girl released the man and kicked him forward. All the other Belkans turned away when her apprentice swept a gaze through the crowd. "Well?" The encampment abruptly came to life. Everybody had their jobs to do, including the two men who picked up the Ecclesian and took him away.

"That was uncalled for, Teana." Fate climbed off the saddle, walked across Bardiche's shoulder, and leapt gracefully to the ground. Her red eyes soon rested on blue. "Try to show some restraint."

"He was being disrespectful." The redhead crossed her arms and glared at the support personnel helping Bardiche out of his saddle. They were careful they didn't accidentally touch the great beast, because doing so would have cost them their lives.

"He was just following orders and overreacted a bit. It's to be expected." She knew that Teana was just venting her anger from what happened earlier. It wasn't easy for an apprentice to be left out of a sortie, god knows she experienced her fair share of that when she was in other girl's shoes.

"You're right, Master." Teana bowed. "Still, I can't believe he questioned your orders?"

"Like you never have?" Fate meant it as a joke, but her monotone voice didn't carry the humor across.

Teana's head flipped up, her face full of shock. "I…err…"

"Never mind." She waved it off and turned back to the obsidian dragon. "And you, Bardiche, how are feeling after your first battle over Ecclesia?"

Yellow eyes turned to her. "Hungry."

"You never change." Fate brushed some hair out of her eyes and shook her head. "You're probably starving after carrying that Brown half the way."

"Huh?" Teana spoke up suddenly. "A Brown?"

"Long story, Teana." She turned and started off into the camp. "Make sure the handlers feed you adequately, Bardiche. We need you at full strength."

"Aye, Sir." A rumble shook the earth as the large dragon rested its head on the floor, wings and tail tucked firmly against his body.

"What are my orders, Master?" Teana asked as she followed behind her.

Fate didn't answer right away, she was too busy rubbing her right shoulder. During the battle a Brown's tail had clipped it painfully.

"Just ask, anything at all." Teana's voice sounded hopeful, no doubt she was still feeling guilty about being left behind. "Please."

Fate stopped and turned, startling the redhead in the process. "Prepare a bath. Nothing would please me more right now."

Blushing bright red, Teana immediately bowed. "By your will, Master."

00000000

It took longer than she expected to make it back; her proud mount had taken quite a beating during the battle. "You did well." She cast a look back at Laevatein one last time before entering the camp. Signum felt sorry for the old Gold. After a grueling battle he had to share a pen adjacent to Bardiche of all dragons. That Imperial could snore loud enough to wake the dead. If that wasn't bad enough, Mirage was also nearby. When the young Bronze was around Laevatein, the older dragon couldn't help but pick on him.

"Humph." Putting that out of her mind, she had a certain Imperial Highness she needed to talk to. A single soldier promptly saluted her as she passed him. Aside from the pen handlers she met upon landing, that was the first Belkan she saw along the way. They were making themselves scarce, and it probably had something to do with the visiting princess. No one wanted to be responsible for offending a Rossa.

_What is she doing here?_ Signum thought for the hundredth time.

Her unit had been on skirmish duty for six months in the very heart of Ecclesia. The constant fighting around the clock had taken its toll on the Forty-Ninth Dragoons. Out of a full Wing of fifty to start with, they were now down to four. The only dragon that could actually still fly, albeit barely, was Signum's own.

_As much good that will do._

Today was their last sortie; with their current roster as it was, it would be impossible to continue on. Soon they were going to be recalled back to Belka or absorbed into a larger Wing on the main front to the north. That's what bugged her. This assignment was dead, so why was the princess even here?

She had to find Lady Testarossa to get those answers, and all she had to do was look for the largest tent. It wasn't that Fate was a pretentious person, far from it, but the base personnel would have insisted on it. Sure enough, a large four sectioned tent was exactly where she found her, or Fate's apprentice to be more precise.

_Humans sure do grow up fast._

Teana Lanster had grown considerably since the last time she'd seen her. It had only been three years, but it was long enough to make it hard to recognize the girl. "Long time no see."

The redhead didn't respond, in fact she appeared to be in a daze.

Signum leaned over and waved a hand in front of the girl's face. "Teana." Still no response, so she decided to shift tactics. There was a noticeable increase of bars on the rank crest over Teana's left spaulder. "Major!"

The redhead let out a startled yelp and jumped back. She only realized now that she wasn't alone. "Announce yourself before you…" Whatever Teana wanted to say died on the girl's lips. "…Master Opel?"

"That would be Captain Opel now." Smirking, she gave the redhead a salute. "Major Lanster."

00000000

"If you don't mind I would prefer calling you Master Opel." It didn't matter that she was higher in rank now; as a child Teana practically worshipped the other knight.

"I would prefer that you didn't. You only have one master now and she deserves all of your respect."

"Aye, Captain." Teana bowed humbly, it was truly an honor just to be in the Elva's presence. It was said there no finer dragoon in all of Belka, at least until recently. A new rising star had taken Signum's title as the best of the best, and it was a human Teana was proud to call Master. "I'm glad you finally returned. I heard you made it through the battle unscathed."

"Unharmed, but not unscathed. No battle leaves you without a mark." The pink-haired knight crossed her arms. "But enough of that, where is Lady Testarossa? I need to talk to her."

A blush worked its way on her cheeks. "Busy," she answered evasively.

"Hmm." The Wolkenritter raised an eyebrow. A splashing sound from behind Teana made Signum's brow raise even more. It was the sound of sliding flesh, dripping water, and the occasional relaxed sigh. "I see. You can take the princess out of the palace, but you can't take the palace out of the princess."

She avoided meeting the other knight's gaze. "As I said, the Imperial Highness is otherwise busy. My apologies, Captain."

Signum looked about ready to laugh. "I wouldn't want to disturb you…I mean her."

"W-what do you mean by that?" Teana couldn't help but shift nervously in embarrassment.

"It's just that you have my sympathy." Signum shrugged and gave her a knowing smile. "You're at that age, and it can't be easy serving a Belkan princess. The Rossa bloodline is renowned for its attraction to the fairer sex."

Teana suddenly felt a bead of sweat trickle down her forehead. She wondered if her former idol was a psychic. "That's an old myth, and even if it's not, I assure you it has no effect on me."

This time the pink-haired knight did laugh. "Sure sure. An all female ruling family for three and a half thousand years, and it's still called a myth?" Signum waved at her and turned to leave, laughing even harder. "How else do you think imperial heirs are born if a Rossa can't bear children?"

"I think you have the wrong idea. Only magi could pull off something so…unnatural." She grunted and crossed her arms, Signum was just mocking her. Everyone knew that a noble woman was chosen by the church to be the Queen Mother. From there, by divine providence, the Queen Mother is then blessed with the next generation of Rossa. It had nothing to do with sex. That was just a myth deviant female commoners made up to justify their deviant behaviors. "Hey, where are you going?"

"To check on some things." Signum stopped briefly and met her eyes. "Just make sure no one else peeks."

"W-what you do you mean by 'else'?" Teana called out after the Elva. The dragoon ignored her and walked off into the night. "Humph, that was uncalled for." She let out a sigh and resumed her guard duties.

_Everybody always gets the wrong idea. So what if she's a Rossa?_

Several minutes went by, several long minutes of her listening to Master bathe.

_I'm not like that._

A blush worked its way on her cheeks, and her blue eyes slowly crept over to the tent's flap. It started with a slight shuffle, then a full sidestep, but eventually she reached out and touched the cover.

_I'm not…_

When she was positive no one was around, her hand began to slide it open.

"Oh I forgot to ask."

"Ahh!" Teana yelped as she jumped back and fell on her rear. She was taken so completely by surprise; no sound, no movement, no sign whatsoever that someone was around. "Huh?" Looking up, Signum was standing over her with another one of those annoying smirks. "I um…errr…"

"Save your elegant speeches for the court." Signum bent down lower to meet her at eye level. "Lady Testarossa took an Ecclesian with her during the battle. Would you happen to know what became of him?"

Blushing furiously, she pointed a shaky finger to the eastern side of the encampment. "O-over in the medical ward. He was unconscious when Master brought him back, so they took him there."

Still smirking, Signum brought a fist to her chest in salute. "My thanks, Major. I'll be back when Her Highness is finished." With that said, the Elva silently disappeared from her view.

Teana quickly got off the floor and looked around. She didn't see a trace of the pink-haired knight anywhere. "How do they do that?"

00000000

Fate lathered her aching shoulder with gentle strokes; it was feeling much better with each passing moment. Bardiche played a large part in that, but the bath helped immensely. In no time at all it would be back to normal.

_Four_.

She sighed and leaned her back against the tub in thought. Four was the number of Ecclesians she slew today. The very thought of it pained her deeply. She made a promise with herself that she'd never forget what it meant to take a life, lest she turn into another agent of Belka. Soldiers who wantonly killed without remorse. "May the Light forgive me."

She noticed that Signum and Teana had finally stopped bantering outside. She was glad to hear Signum made it back safely, but she did her best to ignore their conversation. Too bad Teana didn't make that easy with her loud voice. "Some things are better off not knowing." She had learned a long time ago the value of not eavesdropping.

00

_The five year old Fate opened the large marble doors slowly, and her red eyes quickly scanned the room for any sign of the servants. They shouldn't have been anywhere near here, and sure enough, it was empty. Smiling, she went inside and shut the door behind her. "Wow!" The spacious chamber, more a cavern than an indoor room, was simply amazing. _

_The first thing that drew Fate's attention was the high ceiling. From one side of the room to the other, it was painted with pictures of knights and pointy-eared people fighting. It was very detailed; it had men in armor, dragons soaring through the sky, and even sinister witches using magic. It was nothing like the happy pictures covered on the ceiling at church. _

"_I wonder if Mama painted it." She knew her mama liked to paint, but she usually drew pretty things. Like the flower gardens in the east palace arboretum, or scenes of Fate and her sister playing in the courtyard. _

_Walking further in, she noticed there were more pictures carved into the stone walls as well. Down by the door the mural showed families living in tiny houses made of mud, but by the time they reached the back of the room, near the towering windows, the people in the pictures were living in tall brick houses like the ones outside the palace. Every intricately drawn person was happy; they were building, laughing, and praying._

_Fate let out a sudden gasp when she caught sight of the view in the immense windows. She quickly ran around the large wooden desk and peered outside. It was the most amazing view of the Al-Hazard she had ever witnessed, snow covered the sea of buildings as far as the eye could see. It made the city look like it was made of crystal. "So pretty." She had laughed the first time Mama told her that Al-Hazard meant 'Sun's throne' in an old language. The sun was supposed to be warm, but it snowed in the city all year. _

_Tearing her attention away from the Imperial City, she approached the large wooden desk. It was as big as the servant's kitchen table. There were a half dozen seats on one side, and a giant gold-lined chair on the other. Giggling, she crawled onto the gold one. "Humph." It was heavily cushioned, but she couldn't see over the top of the desk. When she was taller, she wanted to come back and pretend to be Mother. It would probably make Mama laugh._

_A creaking sound echoed throughout the large room; someone had just opened the marble doors. "Eeh!" Fate leapt under the desk to hide. If the servants found her they'd take her back to the schoolroom for sure. It wasn't fair that Alicia got to go with Mother while she was stuck with those stuffy, gray-haired tutors. _

"_She did well today," said a man's voice. It was the kind of voice belonging to a man who never took anything seriously._

_Fate pressed her face against the floor and looked through the small opening at the bottom of the desk. All she could see were people's shoes. One belonged to a man, one belonged to a woman, and one belonged to a little girl the same size as her._

"_I would expect nothing less from my daughter, Jail." said the voice of a cultured woman. She had known that voice by heart. It was the voice of discipline and order, not just for her, but for the entire Empire. It was the voice of the reigning Empress of Belka, a woman conceived by the light, revered by all, and more importantly, it was her mother. _

"_Come now, Your Highness," Jail's voice retorted playfully. "I have the fullest confidence in our little heir here, but I just don't trust that creature. Nothing good can come from their kind."_

"_We have no choice," the empress said with a note of finality. "We have exhausted our resources and he is the only ones who possess the key to unlocking the blood."_

"_I wish you'd let me deal with this myself, Cousin," _

"_With your precious science?" the empress said mockingly. "Do you honestly think it will succeed in place of my own abilities?" No answer came from the man. "So I thought, you're the reason why pureborn Rossa are the only ones who inherit the gift, men are way too superstitious. Isn't that right, My Precious Alicia?"_

_It was then Fate heard another voice she recognized right away, mainly because it sounded identical to her own. "Aye, Mother," a girl answered demurely._

"_You shouldn't look so down, Alicia." The empress's voice was warm and loving, a tone she never used when talking to her. "You will make me proud someday."_

"_Mother," Alicia asked softly, "May I go back to the schoolroom. I want to show Fate what I learned today."_

"_Listen to me," the empress said sternly. "You will not tell anyone about our learning sessions; not Fate, not Mama, not anyone."_

"_But the pointy-eared person said…"_

"_No one!" the empress snapped._

"_Aye, Mother," Alicia said quietly. A moment of silence, and then the marble doors opened and closed again._

_Fate pressed her face to the floor and saw that only two sets of shoes remained._

"_She has already shown more progress than I expected." Jail let out a sigh. "This doesn't feel right."_

"_Why?" retorted the empress. "She's a Rossa, her abilities should come naturally."_

"_Only this time it hasn't; her birth tampered with the ethereal soul. Even if Alicia was lucky to get the vast majority of it, her body isn't even set up to levitate a small pencil, let alone the stuff she's being trained for."_

"_Dealing with her body was well within my power. The problem was her spirit, luckily that's were the specialist comes into play."_

"_So I noticed, but whatever that creature did to her shouldn't be possible. Mana manipulation is only a myth. It must be doing something else."_

"_And since when did you become an expert on spellcraft?" Silenced filled the room, it was louder than when the two were talking. Finally the empress began speaking again, "I see, you're disappointed aren't you. For the first time an heir was born that was no better than the rest of humanity. You could smirk, and laugh, and say that finally the Star of Rossa has fallen." The empress let out a laugh. "But you forget we aren't normal."_

"_That much is obvious. All I'm saying is that magic wasn't the answer to achieve the results you wanted." A note of anger fell into his voice when he spoke those words. _

"_You're just a jealous and superstitious little man. What would you know?"_

"_More than you give me credit for, Cousin. Mark my words, science will overcome spellcraft in the end. There is a reason why humans inherited the world." _

"_Last time I checked," the empress said mockingly, "a single magi controls the most powerful human nation in the world." _

"_That may be so." The man's shoes started to tap in agitation. "And I won't deny that Alicia has been molded into an adequate heir, but what would an Elva have to gain by helping us? It will only aid the purge against its kind when the heir takes the throne."_

"_Let's just say it has no qualms about what befalls its kind."_

"_And you believe it?"_

_Again the empress laughed. "If you knew what it requested as payment you wouldn't be so quick to question that."_

"_I don't want to know," the man retorted. "and I don't think we should leave our subject in its care."_

"_Tampering with Alicia's spiritual link may cause…instability. There is still a need for his expertise. Besides, he knows better than to cross me." _

"_I believe it's a 'she'."_

"_Does it matter?" The empress paused. "And that 'subject' is the future empress you're talking about."_

"_Pardon my poorly chosen words, Cousin." Jail's voice held none of the remorse the words intended. "But if something happens to Alicia…"_

"_Tsh, you lack faith."_

"_No, I'm being practical. The other heir is worthless. She's no better than that commoner who gave birth to her."_

_The empress groaned. "I agree it was a poor decision of my youth, but the church was satisfied enough to make that woman the Queen Mother. She gave birth to an heir didn't she?"_

"_Two," Jail reminded her._

"_Humph, I'll admit having twins was…unfortunate."_

"_More than unfortunate, that worthless commoner almost destroyed the throne."_

"_But she didn't."_

"_It was an unnecessary risk. I did my research, twin blood runs in her family. It made the chances of conflicting with the dominant gene too high."_

"_Enough, I swear you whine more than a senator." The empress let out a sigh. "Why do I put up with your insolence?" _

"_Because I keep your naughty little secrets, Cousin," the man stressed the familiar word. He was perhaps the only man in Belka who dared speak to the empress like that._

"_Then keep those secrets like the dead." The empress walked over and opened the marble doors. "I grow tired of this. The senate requires my ruling this afternoon, and I have to prepare."_

"_Very well, Praise be Your Highness." The man walked passed the empress, but was stopped before he left. "Cousin?"_

"_Keep watching our guest, as you said, I don't trust her."_

"_I would have done that anyway." With that said, the man left. A moment later the empress followed his exit out of the room._

_When the coast was finally clear, Fate slowly crawled out from behind desk; she was feeling very sleepy. Mama had told her never to listen on other people's conversations, and she finally understand why. It just gave you a headache._

00

Her childhood memories were full of moments laden with meaning. At the time she was perhaps the only one who had an inkling as to what was happening, but sadly, in those days she didn't understand enough about the world to do anything about it.

"It was right in front of my eyes the whole time." Fate ran a hand through her extremely long hair and let out a sigh; it was an inconvenience at times, but something in her refused to do away with it. She figured it was part of her vanity that made her keep it. Maintaining appearances was actually a common lesson her Mama emphasized often.

00

"_Get out." said a six year old Fate._

"_No, it's mine now."_

"_But I made it." She puffed her cheeks out in frustration. It took her over four hours to make the little snow house, and wasn't just any snow house either, it was an ice palace. It was made from fresh snow she carted all the way from the marble balconies_—_clean snow devoid of mud and gunk. When her sister Alicia grew up she got to inherit everything, but at least this place was hers and hers alone, or so she thought. She had only been gone long enough to return the tools to the storage room, but when she returned her twin had already taken the one thing that belonged to her. "Please get out."_

"_And I said no!" A head peeked out from the tiny entrance to the snow house. It was like looking into a mirror. The only thing that could tell her and the girl apart was the way they wore their hair. Hers was short cropped and barely fell over her ears, but Alicia preferred to keep her long hair in twin pigtails. "What are you going to do about it, Fate?"_

_She looked away from her sister. Mother would punish her in a second if she laid a single finger on Alicia. It wasn't fair. "Nothing."_

"_That's what I thought," Alicia said with a smirk._

_Her sister was being stupid again. "That's not why I want you to get out, it's because I haven't finished packing the inner walls yet. It could collapse on you."_

_The older of the two laughed and crawled back inside. "Liar!"_

_That comment upset her even more, but she didn't show it. Fate never lied, Mama said it made you a bad person. "I'm telling you the truth." She wasn't exaggerating. The snow house was rather large and extremely heavy. If it caved in while her sister was still inside, she doubted Alicia was strong enough to push her way out. "It's dangerous in there."_

"_I'm never coming out, n-e-v-e-r." The taunting voice of her sister started to get muffled as the pigtailed blonde began pushing snow out to block the entrance._

"_Wait." Fate leapt to the ground and started pushing the snow back in. "Don't move it. That's the packed snow that forms the wall base."_

"_Whatever, you always think you're so smart. If you knew how strong I really was you'd be sorry."_

"_I don't care, you can have the snow house." She noticed the top of the dome was beginning to sag. "Just stop pushing already."_

"_N-e-v…" Alicia suddenly trailed off._

"_Sister?" Fate peeked inside the tiny opening still left. _

"_Get me out of here!" Alicia began to wail. _

_This time the older girl was trying to dig her way out, and she did her best to help. She knew perfectly well why her sister sounded so alarmed, the entire dome was starting to shake. A part of her was angry that Alicia had ruined her hard work, but a bigger part of her was worried about her sister. "Don't move around so much, it only makes it worse. I'll get you out."_

"_Hurry!"_

"_I'm going as fast as I can." It would have gone faster if Fate still had the digging tools, but she made do with her bare hands. After a minute of frantic digging it started to pay off. "Almost there." Alicia finally pushed her arms through the opening, but that was the moment things took a turn for the worst. _

"_Ahh!" screamed the older girl. The dome had shook one last time before it completely collapsed on the pigtailed blonde. The muffled screaming soon died away and the courtyard fell into silence. _

"…_Alicia?" She stared on in shock. One moment she was staring directly in her sister's red eyes, and the next there was nothing but a white mound of snow. Fate's frozen state only lasted a split second before instinct took over. She quickly dived forward and started digging like a crazed gopher. The snow had mixed in with the mud and it wasn't making the task any easier. Mama would scold her for getting dirty, but all that mattered right now was helping her trapped sister. "No!" she said in frustration. No matter how hard she dug with her hands, it wasn't fast enough. She finally pulled back and stood. "I'll go get help!" Two steps and she whipped around on dead run to the servants quarter. That was the moment something exploded and threw her across the ground._

_Fate didn't know how long she lay there in the mud, but it wasn't long enough. The ground was cool and soothing, unlike the heated air that surrounded the courtyard. "Ehh…" She groaned and rolled over onto her back. The aches and pains would normally be her first concern, but she suddenly remembered her trapped sister. She quickly bolted up and looked in the direction of the ice palace, or former ice palace. There in the center of the courtyard, where it once stood, was now a blackened circle of scorched earth. At the epicenter rested her sister, and a glowing pattern of red light that circled her form. Her sister's eyes were closed, but she appeared conscious. "Alicia!" _

_Her voice had finally registered, and Alicia slowly cracked open her eyes. "…Fate," the girl whispered tiredly. Alicia made an effort to stand, only to collapse on the ground a moment later._

"_Alicia!" She rushed to her sister's side, but the moment she got there a flash of light made her jump back, shielding her eyes in the process. When she opened them again her sister was gone, vanished, like the girl was never there at all. Fate abruptly choked out a sob that reared in her throat._

"_Calm yourself!" said a stern voice from behind her._

_She whipped around and saw her mother standing at the other end of the courtyard, a translucent red circle fading from around her._

_Her mother was a tall, statuesque Belkan with long violet hair and an impressive figure, but that wasn't her most noteworthy feature. Empress Precia Testarossa possessed the one feature that made her recognizable throughout the Western world, she had a pair of crimson colored red eyes. It was a genetic trait only passed down by a single family, a family that ruled the Empire for over three thousand years. _

"_Mother…" She was looking at the one person she wasn't expecting to see. Make the two people she hadn't expected to see. Behind the empress was man wearing an Imperial Army uniform. He, like his cousin, had purple hair, a tall build, and dark red eyes. The thing that made them seem worlds apart was their expressions. Mother rarely smiled, and those times were only reserved for Alicia, but Lieutenant General Jail Scaglietti, on the other hand, always smiled and never pleasantly._

"_Wipe that stupid look off your face." Precia walked over to where she stood, Jail following close behind. "Your sister is safe. I took her some place to rest."_

_Fate looked away from the empress, her mother had never addressed her so directly before—normally she would ignore her presence altogether. She looked back at the scorched ground, and her childlike mind tried to wrap around what just happened. The tutors always preached that everything could be explained logically, but at the moment nothing worked. "H-how…" _

"_That doesn't concern you," Precia said harshly, looking down at her while she stood in the mud._

"_But it looked like magic." Fate had definitely said the wrong thing, because her mother grabbed her face and glared at her._

"_Listen because I'll only tell you this once. If you value your worthless life, just forget about what you saw."_

_A chill worked its way down Fate's spine. It wasn't just from her mother's words, because people said mean things out of anger all the time, it was the fact that her mother had meant them. All she could do was nod her head._

"_Good." Precia cocked her head to the side. "What were you doing out here?"_

"…"

_The empress narrowed her eyes. "Speak!"_

"_I was building a snow h-house," She managed to say, albeit quietly. Her mother suddenly squeezed her cheeks painfully._

"_And why would you do that?" There was no warmth in the woman's voice when she spoke_

"_To play." _

"_Do you wish to shame us by behaving like some commoner?" _

"_N-no." Despite the cold, Fate began to sweat. "Alicia snuck into the snow house and…" _

_Precia cut her off by digging fingernails into her face. The empress pressed so hard it drew blood. _

"_Don't you dare blame Alicia for your own stupidity?" Her mother quickly ran a finger down her cheek. When the empress pulled back there was a trace amount of dirt on it. "Look at this, you're absolutely filthy." Her red eyes regarded her with disgust._

"_I-I'm s-sorry," Fate said fearfully. "It won't happen aga…" She stopped when her mother released her. She thought maybe she was forgiven, but a sharp clap and a sting of pain erased that. Grasping her swelling cheek, she looked up at her mother. It was odd how tears refused to flow, even though she wanted to cry more than anything right now._

"_I refuse to have a daughter walking around looking like some filthy peasant." Precia kneeled lower and stared point blank into her scared eyes. "Do you know what a Testarossa is?"_

_She nodded cautiously. "Our H-House."_

"_Wrong." The empress slapped her other cheek. "We are the thirty-eighth ruling family to sit on the imperial throne." Again she grabbed her swollen cheeks. "We are the 'true' retainers of Rossa blood." The empress cast a glance at the man standing behind her. "Unlike some branch family mongrels." Her mother suddenly pushed her away and stood back. "Do you understand, Fate?"_

_She really didn't, but she was too scared to say otherwise. "A-aye." _

"_Don't lie to me you worthless…"_

"_Leave her alone, Precia." called out a soft voice, effectively interrupting her mother. All three of them turned to see a woman standing in the snow. The lady was around the same age as the empress and dressed in similar finery. She had a long golden mane that reached all the way to her heels—in a fashion that seemed more like a cape than hair—and her face was flawlessly beautiful with high cheek bones, dark green eyes, and full painted lips. She would have the been beauty personified, had it not been for her sunken, tired eyes and deathly pale skin._

"_Shouldn't you be in bed." The empress glared at the blonde, her face wasn't any friendlier than it was before._

_The blonde never once made eye contact with the red-eyed noble, instead she looked over at Fate's swollen cheeks and cringed. "I came to check on Fate…and Alicia." When the her sister's name left the woman's mouth, the blonde looked even more tired than she appeared before._

"_You knew they were here?" The empress raised an eyebrow. _

_The blonde nodded. "I can always find Fate or Alicia no matter where they go."_

"_You should teach me that trick." The empress smirked. "It almost sounds like magic."_

"_Only the kind of magic that come from the closest of bonds." The pail, sickly woman walked over to scoop her up, and Fate immediately wrapped her cold arms around the woman's neck. "I take it you've already seen to Alicia."_

"_I always look after my daughter."_

_The blonde regarded Fate sadly before giving Precia a sideways glance that spoke of disgust. Shaking her head sadly, the lady turned and started to walk back into the palace. _

"_How are you feeling, Vivia?" the empress called out._

_Without turning around, the blonde answered, "I'm managing."_

"_It will only get worst you know."_

_The blonde woman hugged her even tighter. "…will it?" _

"_Verily so." Amusement slipped into the empress's voice. "Consider it god's punishment for the unfaithful."_

"_I didn't…"_

_The empress cut her off, "Save it. I don't need to hear excuses from the weak." Precia let a smirk appear on her visage. "You suffer more out of ignorance than indiscretion." _

"_I want to go now, Mama." Fate said against the blonde's chest._

"_So do I. It's cold out here." Ignoring the empress, Vivia Testarossa left the courtyard and entered the palace. When they were finally in the warm confines of the halls, the blonde pulled Fate back and looked her in the eyes. "Always remember to keep up your appearances, Fate. If you wear the perfect mask, and don't open yourself up, then people can't find an excuse to hurt you."_

"_Aye, Mama." _

00

Fate splashed water on her face and tried to rid herself of the memory. Her childhood was never something she cared to reminisce about, but at least it taught her a few lessons that made life bearable.

"Teana!" Fate called out. She had spent enough time in her bath and there were things to do. Stepping out of the steaming water, she reached for a towel sitting on the nearby counter.

The flap to the tent opened and Teana strode in, quickly stopped, yelped, and walked back out. "E-excuse me!"

She turned and raised an eyebrow, her apprentice had been acting strange recently. Shrugging, she wrapped the towel around her naked form. "Can you fetch my armor and effects?" She had sent her armor ahead to the quartermaster to get repaired, and it was probably done by now.

The redhead's voice returned from the other side of the tent flap, "Is your uniform no good?"

Fate shook her head even though Teana couldn't see her. She never liked the cloth uniform, it felt misplaced on her somehow.

00

_The somber music finally receded and the entire attendance in the cathedral took their seats. The music was somber, but it was a somber occasion. The Queen Mother of the Belkan Empire had passed away._

_An eight year old Fate sat in the front row wearing a simple black dress. Even during the saddest day of her life she couldn't shed a tear; Mother told her it was a sign of weakness. "Mama," she whispered sadly to herself, she missed her so much. Her beloved Mama was the only person in the entire world who truly cared for her._

_Looking up, she spotted her mother and sister standing near the other leaders of Belka. There was Regius Gaiz, High Marshal of the Imperial Army; Dorian Lanster, Praetor of the Senate; and even Vance Gracia, Archon of the Light's Church. Along with the Precia Testarossa, Empress of the Belkan Empire, the entire ruling body of over two hundred million people stood in a tight nit group talking politics. _

_It made her stomach turn. Feeling true anger was foreign to her—the servants once said she inherited her mama's silken temperament—but right now she was furious. Not at her mother's uncaring attitude but at her sister's. _

_Her twin no longer wore her hair in pigtails, instead she fastened those golden locks into a tight bun. Along with the girl's obsidian army uniform, Alicia looked to be a tiny, blonde-haired version of the empress. Her face was blank, her manner precise, and she even held her conversation with the nation's leaders. It was as if the girl was at another state assembly instead of standing in front of her mama's coffin. _

_Fate bit her lip to hold back the growl threatening to bubble from her throat; she couldn't afford to let her mask drop, not here of all places. When she finally tasted the copper tang of blood, she was promptly reminded of where she was. Crossing her hands in her lap, she began a silent prayer. That was until she saw Alicia turn slightly and look in her direction. She wasn't looking at her, nor was she looking at the crowd, Alicia's eyes were pointed high. Fate quickly followed her gaze to the stain glass windows near the roof. That's when her eyes widened in surprise. Standing at one of the windows was a cloaked person; black hair poking out from the hood, eyes as white as the moon, but most shockingly of all, skin tinted with a shade of blue. She only managed to catch a glimpse before the person disappeared from sight—he or she didn't move away, the person simply faded into nothingness. Her head shot around to stare at her sister, but when she did the girl was already back to talking with Archon Gracia. The twin acted like nothing had happened. _

_Fate calmed herself and sat through the dismissing of the crowd. It was a lengthy task about an hour long, but she hardly noticed. She was too busy thinking about what she had saw. Who was that person? She had seen all manner of creature in her life; the Elva Wolkenritter of Hochland, the hand sized Fairen from the woodlands of Cy-Darrow, Fate had even come face-to-face with a five meter tall Lizardman of the Angoya Plains. That strange, white-eyed humanoid was a new first and it unsettled her. Unlike most Belkans she didn't possess a burning hatred for non-humans, but seeing one at her mama's funeral didn't sit well with her. The fact that Alicia didn't acknowledge it made it worst. _

"_Shouldn't you be leaving?"_

_Fate looked up and met her sister's crimson gaze. They were supposed to be identical, but she hoped her eyes weren't so cold looking. "Alicia…" She noticed they were the only ones around in earshot. The leaders were still busy having a lengthy conversation with the empress._

"_Leave," Alicia said, her voice tinged with a note of command. _

_The other girl had started talking like that ever since enrolling at the Al-Hazard Military Academy—the youngest cadet to join in history. She didn't know why her sister decided to do it, Mama begged both of them to pursue non-military careers. "I still need to pay my respects to Mama."_

"_Why?" The blonde wearing the officer uniform raised an eyebrow. "She's dead, move on."_

_Fate started to tremble with rage. She would have hit Alicia right then and there if they weren't currently at church. "Do you feel nothing?"_

"_Irritated." Alicia shrugged. "I had to come back from field training for this." The blonde brushed her uniform for any errant lint. "At least I didn't have to change. I like these uniforms, Mother says they make me look older."_

_Hearing that made her go numb. "I…have to go." She stood up and walked passed her sister, she couldn't look at her right now. _

"_Auf Wiederschauen__," Alicia called out in ancient Belkan—those words were intended for goodbyes. The heir said them in a connotation laced with humor. _

_Fate came to a stop, not bothering to turn around. "You…"_

"_I what?"_

"…_never mind."_

00

Teana placed the bundle on the table by the bathtub. "Here you go, Master."

Fate shook off her thoughts. "Thank you." She went over to inspect the armor.

The redhead made a mood to leave. "Do you need help dressing?" Teana fidgeted nervously by the exit.

Armor was a time consuming feat when you had to put it on yourself, but she needed that time to prepare. "I'll be fine." She watched as Teana nodded and left.

Fate turned back to her armor and ran a hand over the imperial crest resting on the left spaulder. It was comprised of three symbols. The right symbol of the crest was a sun rising over a plain of snow, the crest of authority, it represented the glory of the Rossa that shines on Belka. To the left of the sun symbol sat a dragon with spread wings, that was the crest of duty, that represented the military that solidified the strength of the Empire. The final symbol in the middle, and the largest, was a golden cross, the was the crest of faith, it represented the Holy Light and the sacrifice paid by humanity in its service.

"Authority, duty, and faith." She had been sworn to those tenets the day she decided to wear the uniform.

00

_A twelve year old Fate crossed her two sabers and intercepted the overhead slash of the cadet dueling her. He was slow, and it was easy for her to break away with a spin. The boy let out growl of frustration, but that instantly turned into a sigh of defeat when she pressed in and jabbed him on the chest with a thrust. "Call."_

_The boy backed away and bowed. "Out."_

_She aligned her right saber vertically to her face in salute. After that she turned to the instructor. "Match six called."_

"_You are truly a Rossa," a balding man said with a nod. He was dressed in the black uniform of the Imperial Army with a golden crest over his neck. The lightning marks on the sides of the national symbol represented his rank, a Field Marshal—a rank just under their highest of High Marshal. It would have seemed excessive that a man of his status would supervise her training, but at the academy they spared no expense when it came to the princess. "Has this become too easy for you, Your Highness?"_

_The man was jesting, but in truth, it had. After winning the Melee __Konkurrenz__—an annual tournament held in honor of martial prowess—training sessions at the academy were nothing. "It keeps me sharp."_

"_Indeed." The Field Marshal narrowed his eyes at the cadet that dueled her. "You didn't hold back did you?"_

_The boy, four years older than she was, straightened and grimaced. The instructor must have insulted him. "Never," he said firmly. "The moment we crossed swords we became adversaries. I gave it my all."_

"_As it should be." The balding man turned back to her and nodded his approval. "You make the academy proud. Soon you may even match the prestige your sister earned."_

_That was the story of Fate's life. Everything she did, her sister had done it better. When it came to academics at the Cathedral Acadium, Alicia blew past it a year faster than she did. When it came to the Military Academy, the older twin had already graduated as the youngest cadet in history at the age of ten—eight years before the normal age group of graduates—and took away record after record; tactics, application, and even fighting. She may have held the championship this year for the Melee __Konkurrenz, but it was only because Alicia chose not to attend. "I try to make my namesake proud."_

"_As it should be." the balding Marshal said again. "You should be done for now, Your Highness. Retire for an hour and then meet class eight on the mustering field. We need to continue your mount exercises."_

_She internally cringed, but she didn't show any of that reservation on her face. "Aye, Sir." She hated mount training, and she especially despised horses. They never seemed to like her either, because even the most trained and seasoned beast had a tendency to bite her. Mounts in general were infuriating. She never knew why any knight would purposely choose a path that put their faith into an animal. She personally vowed never to trust any creature bigger than a puppy._

_Fate sheathed her blades and headed out of the training center. Her steps started to falter the moment she neared the large doors. It was the same time her vision became afflicted with vertigo. "Eeh…" She swayed slightly before she closed her eyes to regain her balance. Taking a deep, steadying breath she opened them again. That was when she let out a gasp and looked around. One minute she was at the academy, the next she was standing in a snow laden courtyard. She recognized this area as the palace, but that was impossible. Her former home was clear on the other side of the city._

"_I see it worked."_

_She spun and stared __at a familiar sight. Red eyes, black uniform, and bright blonde hair done in a bun; Alicia was still an oppressive presence since Mama passed away. "How…" _

"_Forget about the how." Alicia smirked, a very Precia-like expression that she inherited. "Shouldn't you be more concerned about insubordination. I'm your superior after all."_

_She went rigid and brought a fist to her chest in salute. "Forgive me…Colonel." It was safer just to play her sister's game. For years now she'd known Alicia possessed certain abilities, abilities that went by many different names, like heresy. _

_Alicia haphazardly returned the salute. "Good to see the academy did you some good. You're finally showing me the proper respect." The older girl crossed her arms behind her back and stepped closer, looking Fate over with a scrutinizing eye. "That uniform looks good on you." _

_It was the first time Alicia had seen her in it. The two hadn't met face-to-since since she joined the academy two years ago. "It's no different from what you see when looking into a mirror."_

"_Not true." Alicia motioned to Fate's hair. It was long now, reaching all the way to the small of her back, and was tied off at the end with a black ribbon. "That can't be regulation."_

"_It was allowed."_

"_I'm sure it was," Alicia said with a smile. "I like it. It kind of makes you resemble Mama with that style."_

"_Don't talk about her." She stepped away from her sister. "You don't deserve that right."_

"_And you do? I seem to recall her forbidding the both of us from joining the military. Yet, here you are."_

_That comment struck deep to the bone. It was true that her current path was opposed by the Queen Mother, but after her death she was left with little choice. Leaving for the academy was the only way to escape from the palace's nightly disturbances; like unexplained deaths among the servant staff, or even the strange presence that always followed her around. She was only standing in the palace courtyard, yet she could still feel it even now, like a second set of eyes were on her. "Why have you brought me here?"_

"_Would you buy that I just wanted to say hi?"_

"_No."_

"_Tsh, you're no fun." Alicia stopped and turned. "Heh, the truth is I just brought you here to see if I could do it."_

"_Do what?" She didn't like her sister's tone of voice. It sounded so empty._

_Alicia smirked. "Kill you."_

_Fate backed away in alarm. "Kill me?" At first she thought it was some kind of sick joke, but Alicia's red eyes didn't bat an eyelash. She came to an abrupt halt, an unseen force had suddenly seized her and bound her limbs. The temperature of the courtyard was cold, but the icy grip that wrapped around her was below arctic. "W-what did you do to me?" She couldn't move a muscle._

"_Nothing yet." Alicia pulled out a knife from her the long officer coat and approached Fate. _

_It was unlike any blade she had ever seen. Her first thought was that it was made of crystal, but that notion faded the moment Alicia placed it against her throat. It was cold enough to chill her to the bone. "Ice…" This wasn't the first time she experienced magic, Fate had caught glimpses of it from time to time in the palace, but this was the first time she felt true revulsion against it. Her years of church teachings and military training made her want to lash out on instinct. Sadly, with her immobile state, that was impossible._

"_Isn't it grand?" retorted the older of the two. Moving the ice blade higher, it earned an involuntary yelp from her. "Don't act so surprised. You can't be so blind that you haven't noticed what I am."_

_Fate had noticed, but she spent her time running away from that horrible truth. Humans were a species devoid of magic; they could see it, touch it, sense it, but they couldn't mold it to their will. It was an infallible fact of the world. "I know the truth." The truth was that her sister—a descendant from an ancient line that swore to abolish magic—was granted the same heretical power she was sworn to destroy. She knew that it had something to do with their mother, because the violet-haired empress was obviously a magi herself. "You'll burn one day for betraying the Light." _

"_Heh, are you threatening me, Sister?" Alicia smiled and released the dagger. The thing remained against her neck as it suspended in midair. "I wouldn't move if I were you."_

"_If the people knew…" _

"_Who would believe such a farfetched accusation?" The older twin let out a snicker. "It's preposterous!"_

_She turned away from Alicia's mocking red eyes; the movement caused the ice blade to dig into her skin. "Verily so." _

"_Now now, at least holier-than-thou Fate had enough sense to keep it to herself."_

"_That's not why I remained silent."_

"_Oh?"_

_She debated whether or not the other girl would appreciate a thing called loyalty. "I said nothing out of consideration for the family."_

"_For the family?" Alicia seemed genuinely surprised. "You're kidding me?"_

"_Don't mock me. I wouldn't lie."_

"_But we're not even your family, Fate. Haven't we made that clear all these years?"_

"_We shared the same womb." She looked hard at her twin. "Blood is blood. That is enough for me."_

"_Poor, Fate. Blood is nothing but a tool to house the soul." Alicia shook her head. "Want to know a secret, one that Mother isn't even aware of?" The older blonde stepped closer and leaned forward. "Did you know there is only one Rossa soul?"_

"_What are you talking about?"_

_Alicia ignored her and continued, "A true Rossa is a single soul divided into two, the mother and the heir. When it's my time I shall inherit it all and begin the cycle anew—it's a practice that has kept us alive for a very long time." Alicia shrugged. "Mother is mother, and I am the heir." The girl paused and then pointed at her. "So what are you?" _

"_Confused."_

"_I bet." Alicia shook her head and snickered. "But I'll tell you what you are, you're the mistake that has held me back, the one who has limited my potential." All humor drained from the older girl's face. "You're the reason I'm a failure." _

_Fate couldn't believe her sister had accused her of that. No matter what she did in her life there was no way she could outshine the beloved successor. Alicia Testarossa was better than her at everything and the people recognized the girl for it, especially Mother. "I didn't do anything."_

_Alicia's hand shot out and slapped her hard. "You stole a piece of my soul you pathetic leech!" A grimace formed on the older girl's twelve year old face. "It was all your fault that I was robbed of my whole. Too bad Mother didn't have the heart to deal with you at the time. Instead, I was the one who was fixed. All that trouble…" Alicia's eyes narrowed. "…and all that pain!"_

_Fate was beginning to think her sister had finally lost grip on reality. "You're not making any sense, just calm down." The blade against her throat pressed harder, but instead of drawing blood, it turned the touching skin into ice. "Ahh!"_

"_You have no idea how much I've suffered because of you, but don't worry. I'll pay you back with interest." The older girl stepped back and extended an arm forward. With a wave of that hand a red symbol formed in the air between them. Alicia placed her free arm through the symbol and it disappeared from sight. _

_She gasped._

"_Save it," Alicia retorted. "The best is yet to come." _

_The older girl dragged the arm from the symbol and it slowly reappeared, but rather than being empty, a dagger was clenched in her hand. The air around the two girls instantly heated to the point where the snow on the ground began to melt. Mainly because the blade clenched in Alicia's hand was made of an unnatural fire—its heat was intense, but it neither harmed nor bothered the girl holding it. The dagger looked similar to the one made of ice, but this fire one emulated the design of a typical double-edged Belkan blade. The ice dagger, although magical, was curved with a single sharpened side. _

"_Pretty isn't it?" Alicia ran a finger harmlessly along the fire blade. "The wonders of magic…do you know why humans aren't able to use it?"_

_Come think of it, no one ever mentioned the why, just the fact that humans couldn't. "No," she answered honestly._

_Alicia beamed. "Because of the soul. A being who was created from the primal weave of mana, like the Elva, can use magic because their souls exist within weave. It's like a fish being born with the ability to breath underwater." She pointed her fire dagger at Fate. "But humans are creatures spawned from the world, like animals. No one created you with intelligent design, and do you know what that means?"_

"…"

"_Cat got your tongue, Sister?" Alicia giggled. "I'll tell you what it means. Humans don't have souls, without them, they can't touch the weave like magi can."_

"_May the Light help you," Fate said in a near whisper. "Is there no end to your heresy?"_

"_Funny how humans call the truth heresy."_

"_Funny how you keep saying 'humans' as if you aren't one."_

"_I'm not." Alicia twirled the fire dagger around. "I have a soul."_

_She had heard enough of this. If Fate was able to, she would have pulled her sabers and struck her sister down. "Release your spell, Magi. Enough of these games."_

"_Games!" Alicia sneered. "Do you have any idea what you being alive has done to me?" Those identical red eyes suddenly shifted to somewhere over Fate's shoulder to the empty courtyard. "No, I will not calm down!" she called out, even though Fate had said nothing. Again she carried on as if someone was talking to her, "You can't stop me. I'll do what Mother was too soft to do, maybe then the pain will stop." _

"_Alicia…" It had finally gotten worst. Growing up she noticed that Alicia had a penchant for talking to herself when she thought no one was around. On several occasions she caught Alicia saying the weirdest things to empty rooms. As a child she chalked it up to an imaginary friend, but the odd behavior persisted well into their early teens. _

"_She's the reason…she stole my soul…" The older girl's grip on the fire dagger tightened._

_Fate's eyes widened, she recognized the subtle shift in her sister's posture. The girl was ready to strike and there was nothing she could do to stop her. Curse the magic that bound her, it was truly the power of darkness the scriptures spoke of. "Don't." _

_Shaking her head, Alicia lunged forward._

_Fate was ready to close her eyes and accept the inevitable, but something unexpected happened. The ice dagger, still at her neck, quickly flipped around and parried Alicia's fire blade at the last second. It momentarily dazed the older girl, and before she could recover, an invisible force slammed Alicia to the ground. As the blonde tumbled, the dagger in her hand flew out and rolled across the ground, making a long scorched line in its wake._

_Alicia quickly flipped her head around in shock, a feeling that was mirrored by her own eyes. "How dare you!" screamed the older girl. _

_Before Fate could utter a sound, the force that bound her limbs vanished. "Eh…" She fell to her knees in gasp. Fate was no novice to combat, in fact she was one of the most deadliest swordswomen in Al-Hazard. She didn't waste pointless time pondering her good fortune, instead she drew her two sabers and leapt atop of her downed sister. In an instant the two swords were crossed against the other girl's throat. "Flinch and I'll do the same. Trust me, if I do that it won't be pretty." _

_Alicia barely uttered a breadth, lest she tempt her. "You won't do it."_

"_I don't have a soul, remember, so why should I care?" She thought that turning the tables on the other girl would feel good, but instead it made her sick to her stomach. There was something really wrong with her sister, aside from the fact she wielded heretical powers, and her first instinct was to get Alicia some help. "Just…don't move."_

"_I won't." The older girl smirked._

_Fate was ready to retort, but the blades in her hand started to shake. Before her very eyes, from the hilt to the tips, her prized sabers crumbled to dust. "What the…" Something hard slammed into the back of her head and knocked her to the side. With a skid, she landed face up in the snow. _

"_I would thank you, but why did you stop me in the first place?" She heard Alicia say while her eyes were closed in pain. Instead of no answer, like she had expected, a new voice retorted, "Because I waz hired toe make you strongra, notoe helpa you make murdra." The voice was thickly accented Common, and almost hard to make out. It was neither the voice of a woman, nor a man._

_Fate painfully opened her eyes. When the light hit them, it made her already aching head throb even more. As her vision finally cleared, she was met with an eerily familiar sight. A blue skinned figure stood in the snow holding the ice dagger from earlier. A brown hood was pulled over the face, but she was positive the person had white colored eyes._

_Alicia slowly turned and regarded her. "I should do it…I should finally reclaim what's mine."_

_The robed figure shook its head. "Ita no giva whatoe you think it will."_

"_But…"_

"_No," the blue-skinned person said firmly, sliding the ice dagger into the brown robes it wore. "You Mothra saya so."_

"_Humph, Praise be the Empress." The eleven year old heir ground her teeth together and stood over Fate. "I will only tell you this once, Dear Sister. If you value your worthless life…"_

_A sense of déjà vu struck her and she realized just how similar Alicia was to their mother. Maybe there was something to that whole 'Rossa having one soul' comment._

"…_stay away from the palace." The older girl shook her head. "No, that won't be good enough. Get away from Al-Hazard and never come back." Alicia reached out a hand and a symbol flashed to life._

_The vertigo instantly returned. One minute she was laying in the snow, the next she was laying a hardwood floor, her vision filled uniformed cadets. _

"_Your Highness!" one of the boys said in alarm. It was the one she sparred with before being brought to the courtyard._

"_She's injured!" called out a second cadet. "Someone get a medic..."_

00

Fate looked in the mirror and nodded to herself. Her draped cloak was fastened snugly, the imperial crested claymore was firmly secured on her back, and her obsidian armor was set to perfection. She was grateful she wasn't born a male because the process would have taken far longer. Men used armor almost twice as thick and heavy as the ones given to females, but it must have been some cruel joke. When the designers crafted the female sets, they blatantly did so to accentuate the feminine assets. Yes it was attractive to the eyes, but the maker probably never intended them for actual combat. Only noble women were allowed into the Imperial Army, and those were usually assigned to cushy positions due to that fact. Fate wasn't like most nobles, and her position among the dragoons wasn't for show either.

00

"_Remember the code! You are soldiers, you are officers, but more importantly you are Knights of the Empire!"_

_A cheer suddenly bellowed out from the crowd and it jarred the fourteen year old Fate from her daydreaming. Remembering herself, she joined in even though her soft voice was easily swallowed by the crowd's baritone. _

"_Good, this class has some spirit after all," said the voice of High Marshal Regius Gaiz. _

_She was listening to his speech, same was everyone else, but she couldn't even see the man talking from her vantage point. She was completely dwarfed by the cadets around her, cadets that were all male, four years older, and much taller than she was. It made her stick out like a sore thumb but she didn't mind. At least they obliged her request and allowed her to attend with the rest of the cadets. For once it didn't feel like she received special treatment. _

"_Remember that spirit in the trials ahead," the man said proudly. "You all have your assignments. Some of you will move on to join the millions in the army. Whether you are sent to guard our interests against the mongrels of Ecclesia, or even sent to aid in the western purge, never forget your training."_

_Fate wasn't surprised to see the largest majority of cadets bellow a cheer. There was no army in the entire world mightier than that of the Empire's, and it needed the most knights to maintain it._

"_For others," Gaiz said once the crowd died down, "you may find yourself taking to the sea. In recent years the Imperial Navy has been ridiculed by the Ecclesians for being inferior, so it will be your job to show them how misplaced that notion is."_

_Again a portion of the crowd cheered, a much smaller one this time. Belka was mainly a landlocked nation between the western forests and the eastern steppes. To the south lay the Elestrian Sea and the tiny southern continent of Ecclesia. Trying to maintain a large navy in that region was challenging when their southern neighbor's economy was based on maritime trade._

"_For those few of you who are left…"_

_Fate stood a little straighter this time._

"…_you will be sent to the elite of elites, the pride of Belka, and the symbol of our power throughout the world." The high marshal let a deep respect slip into his voice. "You will be sent to Hochland where you will be trained as Dragoons!"_

_This time only a mere handful let out a cheer, and she was proudly among them. Fate was granted the rarest honor of becoming a dragon knight and it was only done by earning it, regardless of nobility—even Alicia had failed to become a dragoon, and her twin had always been better at everything else. _

"_Well then." The high marshal cleared his throat. "Dismissed cadets, Praise be the Empress!"_

"_Praise be the Empress!" The entire assembly cheered as a whole one last time. After the excitement finally died down, the cadets started to file out of the assembly hall. The three different braches orderly formed into separate groups and went to their assigned areas. Fate, and a few others, had to go to the mustering field to meet their new superiors. Of course the other cadets gave her a wide space. Even with the same uniform and rank, it still didn't change the fact she was a Rossa._

"_She's really coming with us," whispered a boy to the front of the group._

"_Shush, she can hear you," retorted another boy._

_She decided to ignore them like she always did. Today was her last day as a cadet, and she could finally say goodbye to Al-Hazard and the imperial family once and for all. Fate lived her life each day in an attempt to put the past behind her, but this was the first time she could do it literally. Hochland—the location of the Sky Citadel—was as far from Al-Hazard as she could get in Belka._

_By the time their little group entered the east hallway, they ran into a woman adorned in silver and red armor leaning against a window. Everyone stopped, the woman was not only dressed in foreign colors, but she was blatantly non-human. _

_One of the boys to the front growled in his throat. "What are you doing here, Elva!?" _

_The pink-haired knight calmly turned her head and cocked it sideways. "That's Captain to you," she said calmly._

_The boys shared a laugh, but Fate stood at the back and didn't utter a sound. Her fellow cadets were making a big mistake out of ignorance; she had seen those colors before. The female knight wasn't just an Elva, she was a Wolkenritter. _

_The pink-haired knight didn't seem bothered by the mocking of the eighteen year old boys, instead the Elva's attention was firmly fixed on her. "I wish I knew what was so funny." The Wolkenritter leaned off the window and turned to face the group fully. _

_Laughter completely died off to be replaced by shock. There, on the now uncovered left spaulder, was the rank crest of the Imperial Dragoons. "Captain!" The entire group, Fate included, immediately snapped to attention and saluted the woman. _

_The boy, who initially spoke, bowed deeply. "My apologies! I didn't know you were a…"_

"_Forget it," interrupted the Wolkenritter. She still seemed unfazed by the whole ordeal. "Everyone report to the muster field, the other dragoons are waiting for you. Everyone but Lady Testarossa."_

_The other boys turned to Fate in nervousness. It was a taboo in the academy to acknowledge anyone by their social status. They weren't supposed to be nobles or commoners here, they were supposed to be knights in training._

"_Well?" The pink-haired girl raised an eyebrow. "Go!"_

_The boys tore their eyes from Fate and took off down the hall; they didn't need to be told twice. Eventually it was just her and the Wolkenritter in the hallway. _

"_So you're the second daughter." The Wolkenritter walked around Fate and appraised her. _

"_Captain," she said quietly. "Your orders?"_

_The pink-haired knight laughed. "I can't give you orders, Lady Testarossa. No one but Her Imperial Highness can do that."_

"_But…"_

"_Forget about your time at the academy. You can spout the code all day if you want, but outside is the real world. Even if you're a lowly cadet, the princess still outranks a high marshal." The pink-haired girl leaned over and looked her in the eyes. "You're a Rossa. Never forget that because no one else will." _

"_Aye, Captain," Fate said neutrally._

"_Okay then." The Wolkenritter righted herself and walked a bit always. "From here on I'll be your master and you'll be my apprentice. Only in role, not in rank. If anyone suggests otherwise I'll kill them myself." _

"_Aye…Master." She looked up and saluted. The duty of regular knights fell under the chain of command, but dragoons, on the other hand, were separately trained as apprentices to masters. It was the only real way to learn how to use the abilities gained from the dragon's pact._

"_Captain Signum of House Opel, Seventh Family in the Wolkenritter Kin, First Daughter of Bishop Opel of the Holy Church." The pinked-haired knight smirked. "Just call me Signum."_

_She couldn't possibly use a superior's first name. "But…"_

"_If you call me 'Master,' I would have inadvertently disrespected you." Signum shrugged. "I not looking forward to killing myself, so just call me Signum."_

_It still seemed way too personal, but she relented out of courtesy. "Very well, Lady Signum."_

"_Just Signum."_

"_But..." Her new master glared at her. "Aye, Signum."_

"_Good." Despite the pink-haired knight's whole speech about their social place, Signum reached over and patted her on the head. "Now come, Lady Testarossa. We have someone special to meet."_

_Her master started to walk off down the hall in the opposite direction of the mustering field. "Don't we have to join the others?" _

"_Those knights are headed for the Sun Hatcheries. I'm sure they'll receive fine mounts that will be the pride of the Empire." Signum looked over at her. "But you're a Rossa. Making a pact with a Sun is beneath you."_

_Fate blinked. "Then…where are we going?"_

"_You'll see."_

00

Fate checked herself one last time in the mirror to make sure she was presentable. Her weapons was secure, her long blonde hair was tied off at the end with a black ribbon, and even her armor shined with a glossy finish. She was finally ready to go meet her enemy and make a deal with the devil.

There was just one little item that she needed to get first. Walking back to the counter, she leaned over and grabbed a shoebox sized case from the pile of effects Teana had brought in. Inside was a trinket she picked up on the day the war started.

00

"_That light is unnatural," Bardiche said flatly. They were quickly approaching a glow on the horizon. It was clearly noticeable in the pitch black night. _

_A sixteen year old Fate had to agree. "Definitely magic, and lots of it. I could smell it a kilometer away." _

_When forming a pact with a dragon there were many abilities gained in the contract. One such skill was the bane of magi, a dragoon's magic nullifying ability. It was a rare skill to cultivate, and only a handful could actually pull it off—a tremendous amount of focus and training were required to use even its basic forms. Fate was a prodigy in that sense. Over the years, spellbreaking was the one ability she excelled out beyond all other, so much so that she was nationally credited as the Empire's premier spellbreaker. That was why she was among those hastily recalled back to the capital during their nation's greatest catastrophe. _

_All around Fate flew several Wings of dragoons; hundreds of Golds, a few dozen Bronze, and her own single Imperial. They were all headed in the same direction. "Ride harder, Bardiche. We are almost at Al-Hazard," she said calmly despite the gravity of the situation. _

_It didn't take long for the aerial armada to reach the outskirts of the city. "By the Light!" said a Gold rider to the right. She agreed with the man's assessment, this wasn't just a small fire, the capital was completely ablaze. _

"_We take our leave, Your Highness!" called out several captains that were flying in her formation. They all banked and took command of their specific Wings. This wasn't what they all trained for, but there was only one logical thing to do, put out the fires before they consumed more of their precious bastion. _

_Fate watched as the majority headed off to Lake Ministra. There they could find a source of water that could be airlifted back to the city. The army should already be waiting for them before they arrived. "Head to the center," she ordered Bardiche as they swept over the largest city in the Western world. _

_The epicenter of the catastrophe, as she feared, turned out be the Palace District. It appeared to be completely engulfed in a raging inferno. While there were fires spreading throughout the entire city, the next major devastated area was the surrounding Political District. The Belkan Senate, the Grand Cathedral, and even Reich Citadel was in flames. "How could this happen?" She could spot moving shapes down below, and when she narrowed her vision, she could see they were people. Hundreds, if not thousands of the people were running about down there doing their best to slow the flames. _

"_Futile," Bardiche grunted._

_She hated that he was right; this wasn't a normal fire that could be put out with water. "We have to destroy the source of the spell." She had a terrifying suspicion of were that might be. In truth, her prowess as a spellbreaker wasn't just talent, she religiously trained for a day, like now, when she'd need it the most. _

_As they neared the epicenter, there were already a dozen forms circling around the nonexistent palace. It was the rarest sight she had ever seen. Black dragons, some ancient, some no older than Bardiche, all were flying together above her childhood home. "I can't believe it…"The imperial family was out in the open. They were the most elusive of citizens, and all of them came from the branch families of the Rossa bloodline. Traditionally they bickered and schemed, hated one another with a passion, and never showed their faces unless it served to increase their prestige, but here they were for the first time ever uniting for a common goal. It heartened Fate's resolve to see some of her fellow red-eyed nobles swoop down and pour water over the blazes, or even use their mighty beasts to bat the flames away with their sweeping dives. "They choose now of all times to get along." _

_One of the larger Imperials broke off and headed for her position. Quickly it fell into formation beside her. "Princess!" the rider called out._

_It was the first time that man had ever addressed her so formally. "Lord Scaglietti, what's happened here?" _

_Things must have truly gone to hell. He wasn't smiling. "A needless question for a dragoon, can't you sense it?" His infuriated voice easily carried over the wind thanks to her dragon enhanced hearing._

"_What has she done?" she abruptly shouted back without thinking, her main focus was looking down at the swirling inferno on the ground._

"_Her?" a cautious Jail retorted. _

"_The time for playing games are over." She looked over at the man and watched him narrow his eyes in contemplation. "I'm not a fool. There is a good reason the center of this whole mess is the palace. Now out with it."_

_Jail swept closer and his dragon was wing to wing with Bardiche. "It happened an hour ago while your mother was addressing the senate. One minute she was speaking, the next she collapsed on the floor."_

_Fate's eyes widened. "The senate…" Her eyes looked over to the Political District. There wasn't much left of the ancient building. _

_The man caught on to her line of thought. "She's safe, though her condition is still unknown. We moved her to the Financial District before the fires hit." The man paused, sneering in hatred. "As you can see, the fires originated here at the palace. The first reports from the guards told us they were under attack."_

"_We were attacked?" She was convinced this had something to do with her sister. An unstable magi in the heart of the capital was the only logical conclusion. "Who?"_

"_Who else?" Jail retorted. "Elva magi from Ecclesia."_

_That didn't make sense. She had met with many Ecclesian diplomats over the years, and they always seemed to be a peaceful people. "Are you sure?" This wasn't a trivial accusation. If the Ecclesians were truly responsible for this it could easily mean war. _

_For the first time since she arrived, the man smiled. "Of course I'm sure. They were Graycloaks."_

_Fate's jaw tightened. "Then it's true then." It was a terrifying thought to think she'd be pitched against her own blood, but this was entirely different. Belka, her Belka, was attacked by a foreign power. There could be no mistaking it if Graycloaks were involved. "What of my sister?"_

_Jailed held out an arm and motioned to the central inferno. "Down there. She had to be their target."_

_There were too many questions buzzing around in her mind, but there was a time and place for answers, and it wasn't now. "What should I do then?" _

_It was the worst possible question to ask the man. "You want me to tell you what to do?" He let out a mocking laugh. "Silly girl. Your mother is incapacitated, your sister's whereabouts are unknown, and the majority of the senators are burnt to a tiny crisp. The only one with the authority to be barking orders is you." He smirked. "Maybe I should be asking 'you' what 'I' need to do?"_

_A chill worked its way down Fate's spine. It never once crossed her mind that she, or all people, would be in charge. Mother had made it painfully clear that the throne would never be hers. "I…" She was on the verge of panic now. She didn't know what to do. How could the weight of responsibility fall onto her shoulders? She was only sixteen._

_Again the violet-haired man let out a mocking laugh. "Calm yourself, Princess. God has granted you a reprieve."_

"_What do you mean?"_

_Jail shrugged. "Imperial law withholds all official power from heirs until they reach the age of twenty-one. In that time the rule of Belka falls to the Praetor of the Senate. Since that seems impossible for the time being, it then falls to the Imperial Steward." Red eyes met red. "Me." _

"_Stop toying with me, especially at a time like this!" A growl of anger worked it's way through Fate's throat. "Do you have no respect for the lives that were lost tonight?"_

"_Oh I do, Princess. Certainty I do." Jail smiled again, and not a warm one either. "I'll compensate the people ten fold for the insult of this night." He motioned at the chaos below. "But first things first, as my first order to you as ruler, respectfully of course, I ask that you enter that inferno and put a stop to this before we lose more of the city." _

_She looked at the man as if he was crazy._

"_It's not what you think." Jail let out another laugh, an action he was way too fond of. "I've already analyzed it. As you can probably tell it's magic based. As the esteemed spellbreaker, I'm sure you're the only one qualified to deal with it."_

"_There are limits," she reminded him. Spellbreaking was a tiny barrier, not a blanket of protection._

"_Relax, Princess. I wouldn't want anything to happen to our precious heir. The spell works like a tornado that periodically pulses outwards. The eye of the storm is no doubt calm, or it would have already destroyed the caster that created it."_

"_If what you say is true…" Fate instantly banked and headed for the center of the inferno. "Delaying will only cost more lives." _

_She heard Jail call out from behind her, "God speed, Princess." He laughed one last time before turning off in the opposite direction, probably going to gather the scattered Belkan leaders._

_Fate had a clear shot straight to the ground. The other dragons in the sky were nowhere near the epicenter where the flames were the hottest. Fortunately, a little heat and fire was nothing to Bardiche. Thanks to their pact, she was able to handle the heat as well. The only thing left was a leap of faith—a gigantic leap since she was trusting a man that despised her. "Praise be the Light he's telling the truth!" _

"_We'll find out soon enough, Sir," Bardiche said the moment the they hit the firestorm._

00

Fate removed the three locks on the tiny case and opened it. Inside was the closely guarded item she kept with her ever since she found it. "This is the only clue to what happened that night."

00

_Bardiche crashed into the stone walls. It was a rough landing, but they expected it to be. The great beast groaned and reached out with his claws to grab a footing. After leveling an entire section of the palace, he finally came to a painful stop. _

"_Are you okay?" She quickly unbuckled herself from the saddle and crawled over to the dragon's neck. "Bardiche?" Her dragon had positioned his body to take the brunt of the landing and it had cost him. He was still too young. The Imperial had not fully developed the hardened scales found in older dragons. _

"_I'll live, Sir." Bardiche made a small rumble in his throat when Fate stroked his head gently. He had been doing that ever since he was a hatching. Bardiche might be the same size as an adult Gold, but for Imperials he was still a baby._

"_Sorry." She looked around and noted that Jail had been correct in his assumption. The entire area was swallowed by a spinning wall of fire, but the center appeared calm. All that was left of the palace was a small section not caved in by Bardiche's landing. "At least we made it." She slid down the side of the dragon and landed in the standing hallway. "Please wait here."_

"_Aye, Sir." Bardiche grunted and tightened his hold on the stone._

_Fate quickly drew the two sabers attached to her hip and proceeded inside. Signum had tried to train her away from her weapons of choice, since they were useless for dragoons, but going into this she trusted nothing else. She could moderately wield a lance, but years of training without enhanced strength had made that too awkward for her. It seemed, oddly enough, that the only dragoon weapon she had a penchant for was the famed Zweihander __Schlaeger—a two handed claymore wielded only by specialized Wolkenritter._

_After a few steps she recognized this part of the palace; it led to her mother's study. She was a little girl the last time she was here, and if she remembered correctly, it was because she was hiding from the servants that day. "Eeh!" Fate groaned when a wall section fell over and slammed against her right leg. It left a nasty gash and it made her regret not brining her armor—not that it do much good in a fight against a magi. She was wearing her black Imperial Army uniform instead._

_As she limped over to the large marble doors, her experienced eye picked up the signs of a fight. Pockmarked holes, scorched walls, and other telltale signs of forced entry. Fate leaned her shoulder against one of the doors and pushed it open slowly. She wouldn't be caught off guard; her senses were open to anything._

_Anything but what she saw. "What…" She trailed off as she stepped into the room fully. There were bodies everywhere. Men, and a few women, all clad in gray uniforms covered with long gray cloaks. _

_Jail had been right again. There was no mistaking Graycloaks—the elite magi deployed by the Ecclesian Federation. Dragoons were the main bulwark of the Empire's power—when it came to the skies, and pure strength, Belka had a supreme advantage over their smaller southern neighbor. That's why the Graycloaks were the Ecclesian's balancing force. Since the human nations of the Federation didn't share Belka's aversion to non-humans, they protected the Elva who supplied them with magi in return. Those spell casters signified themselves by donning gray colored robes over their army uniforms, hence the term Graycloaks were born._

_Fate couldn't believe what she was seeing; Ecclesia really did send their elites. She limped over to one of the prone forms on the floor. Using her boot, she slid back the hood on the cloak. It just confirmed the obvious, the dead man had long tapered ears. It was strange how it still surprised her even though she'd seen a similar sight on her master for years. "Elva."_

_Shaking her head, she quickly scanned the entire room. All the Graycloaks appeared to be dead, but none of them seemed to have any obvious wounds. It was hard to use her abilities to determine how they died; there was just so much magic swirling around that it made her senses go haywire._

"_Ehh." The groan was soft, but it echoed in the quiet room. _

_Fate whipped her head around to the large desk. Limping as fast as she could, she walked around the corner to follow the source of the noise. She soon stopped cold. "Alicia…" She had pictured this scene many times in her head. She resigned herself to one day facing her sister ever since that incident in the courtyard years ago, but she suddenly realized her preparations were in vain. Someone had already done the job for her._

_Fate looked away and fought the urge to gag. She could still remember a time, before Alicia changed, when they were as thick as thieves. "Happier times…" she said with a deep sense of loss. She gathered up her will and turned back to her twin. Her boots made a sickening sound as she stepped into the large pool of blood that gathered around the other girl's body. __Alicia was wearing a teal evening dress, but most of that was now stained in red. The cause had to be the dagger currently lodged in her sister's heart._

_Fate gently kneeled down and checked her twin's pulse. When her fingers touched the skin she instantly recoiled. Alicia was cold, but not in the morbid sense, she was as cold as a block of ice. Red eyes widened in realization, her sister's blood was frozen in the veins. _

_Her eyes quickly shot to the dagger. The thing had looked familiar, and she finally knew why. "Forgive me, Alicia." She slid her right saber back into its sheath, and with the same hand, she reached over and grabbed the blade. Closing her eyes, she yanked it free. Cold air suddenly surrounded her and Fate opened her eyes; a single edged ice blade was currently clenched in her hand. _

"_Keep it as a…howa you say, a souvenir?"_

_Fate stood and whipped around in alarm. Standing in the doorway was a blue-skinned man, or woman now that she got a good look at the person without a cloak covering the face. She let out a gasp, the strange woman had ears similar to an Elva. It probably explained why magic seemed to pour off the being. "Who are you!?"_

_The blue-skinned Elva smiled. "A relic." _

_Fate dropped the ice dagger and drew her right sword again; she was going to get answers out of the strange woman, one way or another. "Answer me." Now that her home was burning, the empress incapacitated, and her sister dead, she couldn't help but feel that this creature had something to do with all of it. "I'll only tell you this once. If you value your life…" She stopped and narrowed her eyes. She could see that the blue-skinned Elva was already injured. Her right shoulder was deformed badly and there was blood pouring from the wound onto the floor. It was a light color blood that matched the shade on her sister's dress and the surrounding floor. "You…"_

"_Mey?" The woman cocked her head, giving her a quizzical look._

_Fate put two and two together. The dead Graycloaks, the blood covering her sister, and the ice dagger; it all pointed to one thing. "It was you, wasn't it?" She limped forward, rage building inside her. "You were the one that killed Alicia."_

"_I not wanta toe." The blue-skinned Elva motioned to the Graycloaks and smiled. "Buta playtime isa over."_

_Ignoring the pain in her leg, Fate leapt over the desk and charged the woman. Her right arm arched when she came into range, but her blade only hit air. The Elva had already disappeared, a smile on its face was the last thing she saw before there was nothing but an empty hallway. _

"_Damn it!" Sighing, she fell to her knees._

"_Ehh." _

_Fate's leg protested, but she slowly stood again. "Who's there?" It was that sound again coming from the other side of the desk. Walking back over, she looked around. For a fleeting second she thought maybe her sister was still alive, but the girl still lay there with her red eyes staring at nothingness._

"_Over…here."_

_Fate looked to the bottom of the gold chair. Leaning against it was a Graycloak that was still alive, albeit barely. His breaths were raspy and his eyes were unfocused. In anger, she pressed a blade under the man's throat. "Why have you come here, Ecclesian?"_

"_We…were…too…late." The Elva didn't seem to take notice of her blade. "Kai…stronger than…we thought."_

"_Kai?"_

"_Ancient…all dead…so we…thought." The man's head leaned back and his blue eyes met Fate. "Sorry, My Queen…we failed you."_

_Sympathy, even for her enemy, filled her chest. "Try to make sense. Why did you attack us, why even attack Belka?" She pulled back her sword and kneeled down to the man._

_The man shook his head. "Not Belka…never…no. Here…to…protect the…Queen." _

_He began to drift off slowly and she shook him gently. "Answer me, why are you here?"_

"_Kai," groaned the man. "Stop…the…we were too late. She…killed you, My Queen. Unleashed…your soul…the sun…burns."_

"_The fire was the blue-skinned woman's fault?"_

"_No…soul."_

_He wasn't making any sense to her. Maybe Jail could decipher it, but she lacked too much knowledge in the arcane to figure it out herself. "How do I stop it?" Helping her people took priority. From the view through the large windows, she saw that the inferno still raged outside. "Tell me how to stop the fires," Fate demanded. She didn't receive an answer. "Please tell me. You're a magi, right?"_

"…"

"_People's lives are at stake!"_

_The Graycloak finally nodded, an act that took considerable effort. "Silence…the sun."_

"_How?"_

_The Elva slowly raised a hand and pointed to the body of her sister. "Remove…"_

"_What?" She shook him as he began to nod off. "Remove what?"_

_The Graycloak used the last of his energy to point to his own chest. That was the last thing he did before his consciousness was claimed by oblivion._

_Fate swallowed hard and stood. "By the Light!" May god forgive her for what she was about to do._

00

That's when it all started. The Belkan capital was saved from complete destruction that night, but their nation had embarked on a three year campaign to destroy the ones they thought were responsible. Fate couldn't say for sure that the Ecclesians didn't start it, but she was running out of time to find out for sure. At this rate the Ecclesians wouldn't last till winter, and if her people occupied their lands, there wouldn't be any magi left to answer her other questions.

Fate reached into the case and removed the ice dagger. It chilled her hand just to hold the thing, but she focused her aura on lowering its ambiance. When she was satisfied that it was cooled, or warmed enough, she placed it inside a specially made sheath attached to the small of her back.

00

_A nineteen year old Fate looked down at her mother. "She seems so peaceful." It was hard to believe this was the same woman who made growing up a living hell. The violet-haired noble was laid out in a large bed resting by a towering set of windows, as if the first sight Precia would see upon waking up was her beloved Al-Hazard. It wasn't a sight in vain, the city had done a remarkable job of rebuilding to its former glory in the short three years the empress had been encased in her unnatural sleep. "Mother." She reached over and gently stroked the sleeping woman's long hair. She had meant what she said to Alicia all those years ago, blood was blood. It didn't matter what kind of sins this woman committed in the past, Precia Testarossa had given life to her. Even now she was determined to do right by her. _

"_I'm surprised to see you back in the capital, Princess. Those filthy creatures in Cy-Darrow don't kill themselves you know."_

_It was inevitable that he'd eventually find her. "Our feud was supposed to be against the Ecclesians." Fate let out a sigh. "You've taken this too far, Jail." She turned and saw the Steward of Belka standing there in all his glory. The man was dressed for the part; long trench coat, military uniform, medals the noble probably created just for himself. Jail Scaglietti had savored every bit of power he controlled during his three year reign—which was the first time in history a man had controlled the Empire. _

"_You're mistaken, Your Highness. Belka is at war with all the unclean, and what better place to start than our own backyard." The steward walked over and stood beside her. "Your assignment was prestigious, yet safe. Do you honestly think I could send the future empress to the frontlines? What if you were killed?"_

_She seriously doubted the man would shed a single tear. If she died, Jail would become the first official male ruler of Belka since its founding three thousand years ago. "If I was out of the way this war would continue indefinitely." Jail was well aware of her stance on ending this conflict as soon as possible. In a years time she would be crowned empress should her mother not reclaim the throne, and that, without a doubt, didn't sit well with her cousin once removed. Jail fanatically opposed any resolution that stopped close of complete annihilation of all non-humans. It wasn't just a boastful whim of hatred on his part, the atrocities already committed by her people were proof positive that he was dead serious. _

"_Mid-Childa is ripe for the taking. With all due respect, the war is almost concluded. After it falls, all the Federation kingdoms will fold like a house of cards."_

"_I hear reports that we've been slowed."_

"_Only because we needed to readjust our tactics a bit."_

_Fate grimaced, he was talking about their initial vanguard. The steward purposely used the entire contingent of Wolkenritter to be the tip of the spear; no rest, no reinforcement, just a never ending push until they were all eventually destroyed. "Your plan to annihilate the non-humans don't stop with our enemies does it?" Thinking about how he abused their loyalist of citizens made her sick. Her former master was among those redeployed on the vanguard, though Signum was currently leading an all human Wing. "Just because they are Elva…"_

"_Makes them expendable," Jail interrupted. "The Wolkenritter accept this, and so do I." The steward met her with a stare. "The only person who seems to have a problem with that is you."_

"_Because it isn't right."_

"_No no." Jail wagged a finger at her. "To quote your mother, building a better future isn't about doing what's right, it's about doing what's necessary."_

_Needless to say she couldn't have disagreed more. "I'll keep that in mind." Fate leaned over and took her mother's hand. Although the woman was peacefully sleeping, she was beginning to waste away with time. It was a medical feat just keeping Mother alive. "Tell me, has there been any changes?"_

_Jail shrugged. "No one seems to know what's wrong with her, but just between you and me…" The steward smiled. "I'm betting it had something to do with your sister's untimely death."_

_She knew the man had known more about it than just that, but try as she might, Fate could never get him to divulge that information. "I wouldn't doubt it." She had told him about everything that happened that night; the blue-skinned Elva, the death of the princess, and even the part about the Ecclesian survivor. The newly appointed steward had chosen to ignore everything; instead he went ahead with war preparations. Jail was no fool, he had purposely spun everything to make it look like an enemy assassination plot. He even made her out to be the hero that saved the city. That was plain laughable. If the people really knew what she'd done to stop the fires, they might have thought otherwise._

_Jail snickered at something he was thinking about. "You know it's funny that the only people who could save the empress are the same people we're trying to destroy."_

_Her brow twitched in anger. "Can we not call a truce and ask them for aid in helping Mother?"_

_The steward shrugged. "And why would I want to do something like that?"_

"_Why else?" She didn't think it was necessary to answer that, but she did anyway, "To save our empress and put a stop to this war."_

_Red eyes turned to meet hers. "And why would I want to do something like that?"_

00

Fate opened the flap to the tent and stepped outside. "Teana."

The redhead immediately came to her side. "Master?"

"I take it Signum is back safely."

"Aye, Master. Captain Opel already went on ahead to check on the prisoner."

Fate had wanted to meet with her former master before she met with the Ecclesian. She was hoping to inform Signum about her plans to see where the other woman stood on it. "I see. Has Bardiche been fed yet?"

Teana nodded. "I just came from the pens. As always, he eats like a pig. That Imperial already consumed six times the rations Mirage eats!"

She swiftly turned and made her way towards the pen area. "Mirage is still growing. Someday he'll eat enough to keep up with the older ones."

"Still…"

She wanted to smirk, yet the expression didn't want to surface on her face. Fate doubted she had truly smiled since her Mama died. "I'll admit that Bardiche likes to eat more out of enjoyment than necessity."

They both entered the pen area and came face-to-face with the three immense forms. One was the gargantuan Bardiche. At the moment the Imperial was attempting to get some rest, but it was made nearly impossible by the snapping of the other two beasts. It was like a draconian version of a sparring session. The adult one was none other than Laevatein, an ancient dragon who still acted like a hatchling. The younger one was a rare sight among Belkan dragoons, due to the fact that bronze colored dragons tended to be smaller and possessed weaker stamina than the other Suns—knights tended to select from the more hearty Golds.

"Can you calm down for a single second!" Teana took off towards the pen. One moment she was jogging, the next minute she was rolling on the floor. Mirage's tail had suddenly landed in her path. "Mirage!"

The Bronze froze when he heard his master call out, at the same time Laevatein guiltily turned away and rested his head on the ground.

"You almost killed me you stupid lizard!"

Turning his head slightly, Mirage looked down at the scowling redhead, an apologetic whine erupting from his maw.

"Don't give me that." Teana stood, walked over, and kicked the Bronze in the leg. "I can't believe I chose such a hyperactive troublemaker for my pact."

Fate shook her head and patted Bardiche on the muzzle. "Be nice, Teana. He's still only three." Most dragons needed a good five years to fully mature. For the most part they stopped growing, but it was said they started growing again once they reached two thousand years of age.

Bardiche opened his golden eyes briefly before closing them again.

"Humph." The redhead glared at Mirage until the Bronze laid its head on the ground to get some sleep. "I wonder if Bardiche was as bad when he was younger."

"Worst," Fate said.

A plume of steam erupted from the Imperial, it was the draconian version of a grunt.

"You're kidding?" Teana looked at her in surprise.

"I wish I was." She spun and headed away from the pen area; they had delayed long enough. "You can stay here, Teana." Even if the captured officer was useless, she was already pass the point of no return. No sense dragging her apprentice down with her.

Teana followed regardless. "No."

"What if I made it an order?"

"I'd still say no." The redhead caught up and walked by her side. "I know what you're planning to do, Master."

"Then you should be as far away from me as possible."

"But you're my master. Where you go I go."

Teana had to choose now of all times to be stubborn. "Think of your father. You may have a reckless sense of loyalty, but your actions reflect on him."

The redhead appeared unsettled by that, but she kept following anyway. "That may be true, and I'm sorry for any trouble that I might cause him, but I'm with you in this." Teana looked away sadly. "You're not the only one who wants to put a stop to this war."

She came to halt, stopping her apprentice in the process. "You may regret this later if you walk any further, I'm warning you one last time."

"I have given you my complete faith. Believe me when I tell you that isn't something frivolous." Teana brought a fist to her chest. "All I'm asking is that you give me the same and never doubt my resolve again."

Her apprentice had changed from a spoiled noble to a fine knight in three short years. "I will, Teana." She brought a hand to her own chest and returned the gesture. "I will."

00000000

"Halt." The man's eyes widened the moment he recognized her. "Your Highness!"

Fate held out a hand to stop the eventual groveling. "Please, just let me inside."

The guard quickly saluted. He and four other soldiers stepped aside to let her and Teana through.

When she finally entered the medical ward she had to hold back a shiver. Fate would take this secret to the grave, but she had a phobia against hospitals. When she was a child her mother had frequently sent her to one after special punishments. If that wasn't bad enough, she spent another period of her life watching her beloved Mama slowly die in one of these places. Thankfully, this hospital was empty aside from Signum and the now awake Ecclesian officer. His pact must have been a strong one, because he made a complete recovery. He demonstrated this newfound health by standing toe-to-toe with the pink-haired knight. If the man had the power to slay a person by glaring at them, Signum would be dead by now.

Her former master broke away from the stare fest and saluted her. "Glad you could show up." She jerked a thumb at the Ecclesian. "Mister broody over here refuses to speak with me."

"I refused to speak with a drai," the enemy knight said without taking his eyes off of Signum.

Fate raised an eyebrow.

"Means traitor in Elva." Signum shrugged. "I'm sure he'll talk to you though."

"Oh will I?" The man shook his head and turned to her for the first time. He looked ready to say another biting remark but his eyes finally met hers. "You…" The Ecclesian was stunned speechless.

Teana stepped between them. "She's not a 'you'. Show the proper respect, Ecclesian. You're addressing the…"

"Teana, please." She placed a hand on the girl's shoulder and stood beside her. "Let me formally introduce myself." She brought a fist to her chest as a sign of respect. "I am Sky Marshal Fate of House Testarossa, Thirty-Eighth Line of Rossa, Second Daughter of Empress Testarossa of Belka."

The man visually swallowed and straitened, even her name carried weight in Ecclesia. "I am Captain Chrono of House Harlaown, Eighteenth Federation Dragoons, First Son of Admiral Harlaown. "

Fate motioned to her apprentice.

At first Teana only glared at the man, but she finally relented under her urging. "Major Teana of House Lanster, Lady Testarossa's Apprentice, First Daughter of Praetor Lanster of the Belkan Imperial Senate."

She finally motioned to her former master.

Signum only cocked an eyebrow. "He doesn't want to hear it."

Fate was undeterred. For any formal greeting a person had to introduce their rank, name, house, position, and family's highest status, in that order. I refuse to continue unless all ranking officers are recognized, animosity aside, this is my request."

Chrono nodded in acceptance. "Very well." He looked over at the pink-haired knight expectantly.

Sighing, Signum bowed. "Captain Signum of House Opel, Forty-Ninth Imperial Dragoons, First Daughter to Bishop Opel of the Holy Church."

"Your father is a Bishop?"

"Aye."

The Ecclesian was ready to retort, but his eyes widened in surprise. "Wait!" He turned to Teana. "And did you say Praetor Lanster?"

The redhead crossed her arms and glared at the man even harder. "Aye."

Finally Chrono's eyes rested on Fate. "And…you." Sighing, the man sat in a chair resting near a table by the medical cot. "Never in a million years did I ever think I'd meet a Rossa. What I have done to deserve such an esteemed audience?"

"I want to know that myself," Signum said with a glance in her direction.

"I needed to find an Ecclesian representative." Fate was, as always, honest. "And you happen to be in the wrong place at the right time." Reaching behind her back, she drew the ice bladed dagger.


	3. Chapter 2: New World

A/N: A new update, Yay! Well sorry about taking so long for the posting, between buying the new Harvest Moon for DS, and constantly debating writing format, it took longer than I intended.

As promised, this is a flip side of the coin to the previous chapter, and the second protagonist's turn to have the spotlight. I thinks it's safe to say the readers will have some depth into this world now, and since this chapter is out of the way the rest is plot progression. I miss my N/F time too, but I've learned that anticipation, properly built, makes for a more meaningful future. blah...blah…blah. Who really reads the author notes? Oh, but if you do I would like to thank the readers for their kind reviews(it truly is a writer's drug). One last thing, I checked those pictures mentioned in the reviews and…my head blew up. That was actually my first time seeing them, so you can imagine it was quite an experience. Thanks for the N/F pack in general, BPHaru, fans like me really appreciate it.

Ah! One very very last thing. I found that the language barrier was an important dynamic of the story, so anytime you see (parentheses) it means the other character is speaking a language that the perspective doesn't understand. Hope it doesn't irritate, and or confuse anyone.

Disclaimer: Don't own…happy now corporate lawyers?

Chapter 2: New World

"Where is he?" She couldn't help but tap her feet in agitation. Her husband and son were over an hour late.

"You shouldn't be so surprised, Okaa-san," said a girl's voice from behind her. "The Westerners arrived today before the morning rush."

Now that her daughter had mentioned it, there was a distinct lack of patrons at the local market. Normally people had to edge through shoulder-to-shoulder, but today she could actually walk from one stall to the next without accidentally elbowing someone. That meant the regulars were over at the tower bartering for foreign trade goods. Ever since the Westerners first arrived twenty-eight years ago, the village of Midoriya had become the entire trade hub for the Unimari Province. That was an impressive feat considering it was the third biggest island in the twenty-two island Kusari Archipelago. "How come your tou-san didn't tell me?"

"He probably got dragged off by Kyouya before he could say anything."

"I wouldn't doubt it." She could easily visualize an annoyed Shiro being pulled along by their overexcited son. "That boy thinks it's some kind of holiday every time those traders come." Momoko turned to her eldest daughter in resignation, there wasn't much use hanging around the market without her husband, or more precisely his coin purse.

The middle child sighed. "I'll never understand Kyouya's obsession with that ugly machine,"

"Ara, is that jealousy I detect in your voice, Miyuki?"

"Maybe a little," the girl said reluctantly. Her daughter quickly matched her pace so they were now walking side-by-side through the market. Today the tower was operational, so the patrons in street were almost all women. Males were the only ones allowed in the trade center when the foreigners were here, which was probably why Miyuki was so resentful. Growing up, the elder daughter was forced to listen to countless stories about the flying machine, but because she was a woman, never got the chance to see it in person. "I just want to see it once, maybe then I can understand why Kyouya is so fond of it."

"You might be disappointed. Things are always more grander in stories."

"Still," Miyuki said with a sigh. "All the Tsukimura women are allowed to meet with the foreigners, and nothing bad happens to them." Her daughter gave her a pointed look. "So why is the rest of us barred?"

"Business," Momoko said knowingly. "Tsukimura-sama trained them to act as translators. It's to be expected."

"Che, he'd make a deal with Oni if it meant increasing his profits."

Momoko pinched her daughter's cheek. "Don't talk about the town administrator like that. Tsukimura-sama is a trusted retainer of the Daimyo, not to mention a good friend of your tou-san." Her husband Shiro had known the noble back when Midoriya was nothing but a tiny fishing village.

"Sorry," Miyuki apologized. Like all of Momoko's children, the girl minded her manners.

As they neared the end of the central market there was a subtle shift in the quality of the patrons. Whereas in the beginning of the bazaar, closer to the poorer houses, people wore kimonos that were little better than rags. They were slowly coming into the shop area now, so it was natural they were running into the more wealthy consumers. They were all wearing clothes similar to their own. Looking over at Miyuki, she noted her daughter looked quite elegant in that blue, butterfly patterned kimono. It was a shame the girl's posture didn't match the grace the clothes was intended for. "Must you slouch?" She reached over and brushed away some hair that covered her daughter's eyes.

"Okaa-san!" Miyuki playfully batted her hand away. "That's embarrassing, I'm a grown woman now."

"Try showing it, ne?" Momoko said with a smile. Her middle child had a penchant for acting too boyish, and she blamed her husband for that. Teaching their son the art of the sword was understandable—a common enough thing between father and son—but Shiro shouldn't have done the same for their eldest daughter. A girl had no place learning martial arts; that's why the goddess balanced the world by giving women the gift. "At this rate you'll never find a husband, Miyuki."

"I don't think the shop could afford to lose another worker right now." The eldest daughter rolled her eyes. "Who else would you get to work in the kitchen?"

Miyuki made a valid point, Shiro and Kyouya couldn't make a roll to save their lives. Ironically enough, her daughter used to be the same category before years of practice turned her into a competent baker. "Mou, I'd gladly double my workload if it meant grandchildren."

"Not that again."

"Will I be a crone before I see my family grow?" Momoko retorted in mock sadness. She had all but given up on Kyouya. One fruitless omiai after another was enough. When will that boy get it through his thick head that Shinobu-sama was off-limits?

"I'm just saying that this isn't the time to get rid of me. We have a business to think about."

"This has nothing to do with getting rid of you." Momoko sighed. "Trust me, if I wanted to be selfish I'd never let any of my children leave, but a mother's job is to find happiness for her children regardless."

"And I'm happy just the way things are, Okaa-san." Miyuki gave her a tired smile.

"Ano, if you say so." Just to show she was going to relent for now, Momoko leaned over and ruffled the girl's head one last time. Unlike her own coppery-hued brown hair, Miyuki inherited her husband's darker shaded locks. It suited the twenty-seven year old girl nicely because it brought out those light green eyes. "So did you pick up the sugar like I asked?"

Miyuki nodded and motioned to the basket strapped on her back—it was identical to the one Momoko had on hers. "Let me show you." The younger brunette directed her to the side of the main thoroughfare. When they found a nice spot away from the traffic, she shrugged off her basket and opened it. "See."

"Is this the best you could find?" Momoko leaned in and grabbed a handful of the powdery substance. It was dark brown and rather coarse. "It's not bad for the sponge cake, but it won't do for the pastries."

"It's the best we're going to find," Miyuki said with certainty. "This came all the way from Hiko."

Momoko nodded and placed the sugar back in the basket. After that, she helped put the container back over Miyuki's shoulder. "It's fortunate the Westerners came today. I'll get your tou-san to pick up as much white sugar as he can."

Miyuki nodded and followed her back into the throng of shoppers. "It won't be cheap."

"It never is." Momoko suddenly stopped them both as a town guard walked by. It was custom for women to bow in respect, and so they did. "There is something you don't see everyday," she said after they continued on their way. It was rare to see a soldier in full armor—aside from hunting parties into the woodlands, the last real conflict her people faced was over four generations ago.

Miyuki was still looking over her shoulder. "I wonder what Tou-san looked like in our family's design."

"Nya ha-ha." Momoko couldn't help but smile. "Funny story, but your tou-san was actually wearing it the day you were born…" She trailed off when she noticed her daughter wasn't listening anymore. "Miyuki?" She spotted a glance at the girl, noting the coveted look in her eyes. The girl's fondness for the warrior class was unsettling; she could almost picture Miyuki wearing segmented iron armor embroidered with their family's design, armed with her father's sword, and even proudly bearing the sigil of Unimari on her back. "How much coin do you still have left?" It was best not to think about it, her daughter would grow out it someday.

"Ano…" Miyuki snapped out of her trance and ruffled through a pouch on her waist sash. "Thirteen silvers…err…fourteen."

"Those sugars really were overpriced." Momoko stopped again at one of the stalls housing several rows of dried fish. After inspecting one of the lines, she paid the vender some silvers and placed the purchase into the carrying basket on her back. "Hopefully Tsukimura-sama will give us a discount on the beans this month."

"Not likely. There's talk the Westerners might not come back next month."

"That won't happen. People have been saying that ever since the recession."

"They're just scared it'll happen again."

"Scared is a very strong word…more like weary."

"Che, either way we depend on that trade way too much." Her daughter had a right to be weary. Before the economic expansion, their town was a simple fishing village. There was no way they could go back to that if another recession took place.

"We don't have to worry. The Westerners are bound by a blood contract to continue the trade runs."

"If you say so, Okaa-san."

"I do." Truthfully, speculation alone was enough to raise the price on goods, and her daughter knew that too.

"Maybe Tou-san should ask Tsukimura-sama to keep a set price on the beans, he knows we use them more than anyone else in Unimari."

"Leniency? From a man who makes deals with Oni?" She gave her daughter an indulgent smile.

"Tou-san is his friend, ne?" Miyuki shrugged. "Either way, he should be more inclined to make a deal."

Momoko covered her mouth to stem back the laugh that threatened to burst free. "You've become quite the merchant. Ojii-san would be proud."

"He would have been prouder if I was born a man." Miyuki kicked a rock on the road, almost losing her sandal in the process. "That way I'd have my own shop by now."

"Maa maa, enough of that." She knew it was hard for Miyuki to accept the facts of life. Women were not allowed to own property. Without a husband, the girl's dream of owning her own store was impossible. "Be proud of what you are, and stop thinking about what you can't be."

"Yes, Okaa-san."

Momoko gave Miyuki another proud smile. Her daughter was a little too headstrong, but all Takamachi women were. She thanked the goddess her beloved Shiro was so accepting of their faults. "We've got most of what we came for. Let's go open the shop before our customers get restless."

"Yes, Okaa-san."

That was Momoko's intention anyway, but by the time they finally reached the store district, away from the central bazaar, she was alarmed to see a steady stream of patrons already going in and out her shop. "It's…open."

Miyuki was just as surprised. "Maybe Tou-san and Kyouya are back."

That was stretching it; the two of them never got back before nightfall on a delivery day. On another note, they wouldn't have started the kitchen by themselves. "Let's go." The two of them hurriedly rushed into the shop.

Their store was a sizable building on the main thoroughfare of the shop district, oddly enough, labeled with a sign in the foreigner's language. That was all Kyouya's idea; he told them the strange characters meant 'snack restaurant', and it'd make the place look more exotic. Momoko disagreed, the store was already exotic enough since their specialty was traditional sweets mixed with Westerner styled baked goods, not to mention a brown drink called 'coffee' that the richer citizens enjoyed to drink. Shiro's father, once the owner of a tiny stall in the bazaar, had adamantly dreamed of building a store just like this ever since he tried an imported cake over two decades ago. Sadly, he never lived long enough to see the vision come true, but Shiro decided to carry on in the his father stead when he retired as a guard. That was the birth of the one place in the Isles where people could sample the most exotic of treats.

"Wow." Miyuki stopped and looked around, the look on her face was clearly baffled.

Momoko shared that disbelief. All the rows were lined with their usual goods; sweet buns, cakes, lichee candy, and not to mention several pots of coffee that rested on the mini stove at the back. The store was also packed full of customers, and judging from their finery, they were definitely from the upper-class.

One of them, an aging lady in her late fifties, turned and smiled at Momoko. "Good day to you, Master," she greeted, as was proper when addressing a store owner.

Coming to her senses, Momoko quickly bowed. "Good day to you."

The patron motioned to the rows of food. "I was surprised to see you open already, on a delivery day too."

"You're not the only one," Momoko said more to herself than the lady. "Forgive me for bothering you, but did you happen to see who opened the shop?" She hadn't seen anyone behind the main counter and her curiosity was peeked to say the least.

"Why yes." The old lady paused to grab a sweetened rice cake from the middle shelf. "It was a young lady who looked just like you."

Miyuki shared a surprised look with her. "It can't be…" the elder daughter said.

Momoko had to find out for herself. "Excuse me." She bowed to the patron and turned to Miyuki. "Watch the counter for me." With that said, she hurried over to the sliding door at the back of the room. With a firm, yet gentle pull, she opened it to the main kitchen area. It was a cascade of activity; flour was being mixed, batters were being poured, and pastries were being rolled. It was hard to believe what her eyes were telling her, because all the cooking was being handled by an unseen force. Its origin had to be the glowing rune that floated near the ceiling. All the while, the only visible occupant was currently checking on an item inside one of the three metal ovens—three specialized devices that Shiro bought from the Westerners for a small fortune.

Momoko choked back a sob. She hadn't seen her youngest daughter in almost three years, and it amazed her how much the girl had changed in such a short amount of time. She had grown into a stunning woman, made even more so by the elegant, ivory kimono that signified her as a member of the Temple. "Nanoha!"

The outburst startled the girl, and all the cooking throughout the kitchen clattered to a halt.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

The docking tower was a massive steel structure built on the outskirts of Midoriya, smack dab in the middle of the town administrator's land. It had become a busy center of commerce over the last last three years since the trade had returned, and two warehouses were added right next door to house the goods trafficked in and out. To think it all started with a chance encounter.

**II**

****

Twenty-eight years ago the town of Midoriya was nothing more than a tiny fishing village; modest dwellings, a single noble house, and a militia of no more than forty. It was a picture of tranquility that was the foundation of the Kusari way of life. Every morning the simple townsfolk set out to sea-carefully avoiding the fatal waters of the far ocean-fishing from dusk to dawn for an honest haul they could bring back to their homes and families.

It was no different that rainy summer's day in the year of the serpent; when the wave and winds drove the boats to dock early, and the people huddled in their homes to weather the storm. It was one of those sleepy days where everyone called in early. Even the priestesses of the Temple closed their gates that night, anticipating no visitors to the local shrine.

The only people who couldn't relax were the militiamen. Their job was an endless one, always watching with anticipation. Days like that one, when the humidity and heat were at its worst, Oni and Shinma-demon and spirits-were known to leave the wild lands in search for food. Sadly, that meant large supplies of meat, most often of the human variety. However, the patrols in Midoriya were just a precaution; their town was one of those rare places that trouble seemed to avoid. That's why no one anticipated the loud explosion that shook everyone from their homes.

It was mayhem throughout the village as everyone prepared for a coming hardship. The resident runeweavers-priestesses of the local shrine-were dispatched to safeguard the townsfolk, while the militia gathered to investigate. The explosion had come from the town administrator's land, positioned directly on the forest edge where attack was most likely. It was turning out to be a worst case scenario. The noble Tsukimura family were direct retainers of the Unimari daimyo himself; if anything happened to them, their village would surely pay the price. That's why the militia hastily marched to the mountainside manor the Tsukimuras called home. However, what they found when they arrived was not what they had expected. Oni and Shinma maybe, but not a blazing inferno.

The enflamed object was easily as big as the noble's manor—melon shaped and lined with steel—it rested against the mountainside burning with an acrid smoke. It was an alarming sight, but it was just the beginning. Below the wreckage stood a group of strange humans who were adamantly arguing with one another. Everyone of them had tall builds, light skin, bright hair, and the weirdest clothes ever seen by Islander or Continental; gray uniforms with buttoned coats and leggings, long leather boots instead of sandals, and cloth hats crested with a golden dragon.

The militia's observation came to a sudden end when the strangers realized they weren't alone anymore. In the backdrop of the Tsukimura manor, both peoples abruptly faced off with one another, neither group expecting to see the other. History couldn't pin down what caused the inevitable confrontation that happened next; whether it be the language barrier, a cultural misunderstanding, or even a poorly placed gesture or two. Whatever the cause may be, both sides came to blows. The fighting was quick and fierce, but the strangers were eventually subdued by the larger militia. It was a miracle that no one was actually killed during the clash, but each side was laden with injuries—some minor, but others serious.

In the lull of the after battle, a new problem arose. The Kusari were a xenophobic people by nature, years of invasion from the mainland had made them weary of outsiders. That meant they had no idea what to do with the captured strangers. Some argued they should just kill the lot of them, while others wanted them sent to the capital so their lord could decide. Either way, none of those things happened, not when the town administrator personally stepped in to solve their problem for them. Tsukimura Kieto, resident noble and head of Midoriya, claimed responsibility for the strangers since they incurred on his land. He hastily had his guards take them to his manor where they were kept as guests rather than prisoners, much to the town's dismay.

Things were odd in the weeks that followed the first contact. The Tsukimura manor had become a virtual den of mystery. All contact with the place was severed, except for a request demanding a healer from the shrine. That was about it. This was the single strangest incident in years, and everyone was being kept in the dark about it. Finally, four weeks later, the seclusion ended when a rider came from the manor requesting able bodied men for physical labor. As ever with human curiosity, there was no shortage of willing volunteers.

The scene that met the villagers at the Tsukimura manor was a flurry of activity. The wreckage was already cleared away, and a large scaffolding was built in its place. Inside it rested the melon-shaped construct that was formerly in pieces. Its current condition probably had a lot to do with the foreigners crawling all over it trying their hardest to repair it, but even they didn't do it alone. Guards under the administrator's employ were carrying supplies to them under the instruction of Tsukimura family members. It was shocking to see the Kusari nobles talking to the foreigner in that strange language, then reverting back to their native tongue to speak to the guards. However, their gawking was short-lived. The Tsukimuras immediately pushed them into the labor pool and instructed them how to proceed.

In the months that followed, the workers uncovered some of the mysteries surrounding what happened after first contact; the reason for the administrator's actions, the following seclusion, and even the nature of how the strangers appeared here in the first place. For the most part, it was just an unfortunate accident. That why the administrator separated the townsfolk from the foreigners till they figured out how to communicate first, lest they have repeat of that chaotic beginning. In time, while the strangers stayed at the manor, the noble's painstaking efforts bore fruit, and they learned a few thing about their visitors, mainly how they got there. The Tsukimuras had believed the foreigners right away, since it confirmed what they already suspected, but the townsfolk were a little more skeptical. The strangers said they hadn't traveled from the main continent, like everyone had figured, but instead they'd come from the Western Sea.

Needless to say, it was hard to swallow. The common fisherman instantly scoffed at the idea because no one could travel the far ocean—the underwater mountain ranges made it impossible. The scholarly man rebuffed the notion out of logic—it was common knowledge that all humans originated from the main continent. It was highly unlikely these humans, however strange they appeared, could come from elsewhere. Finally, the staunchest criticism came from the Temple priestess. The scrolls of the ancients were infallible, and never once did they mention a foreign land. To suggest otherwise was an affront to the gods.

The stranger's origins were a cause for controversy and debate, but all that ended in the ninth month since they first arrived. The melon-shaped object, originally a burning wreckage, was completely repaired by a combined effort; Kusari workers, noble translators, and of course the grateful strangers themselves. The latter of which anxiously bid adieu to the Tsukimuras whose kindest wouldn't be forgotten. What happened next wouldn't be forgotten either for years to come. With a spluttering bang, and a plume of smoke, the immense construct lifted into the sky and headed off into the Western Sea. There wasn't a single soul throughout Midoriya that didn't watch in awe, mainly because it was the same day everyone realized the world was much bigger than it seemed.

The fisherman finally understood that, while impossible to cross by ship, the far ocean could be conquered by flight. The scholarly man came to accept that it was possible humans could come from elsewhere. The priestess, on the other hand, remained weary. Their faith was not easily shaken and there was more to the Westerners than met the eye. Whatever the case may be, there were now more questions than answers, and all enlightenment disappeared when the strangers did.

A month quickly passed since the Westerners left, and life started to return to normal in Midoriya. However, that was quickly shattered when a sight appeared on the horizon. Their visitors had unexpectedly returned. This time there were no accidents, explosions, or fights, just a grateful people interested in repaying a dept. Honored, the administrator smiled and said he had only one thing in mind.

Trade, simple enough and something both sides could enjoy with equal measure. The Westerner had things the administrator wanted, and the administrator had thing he offered in return. Skeptical at the first, the foreigners finally agreed, but that was just the start of the something huge. Whatever was bartered that first time must have made an impression, because the foreigners quickly left and returned the next month to do more business. With yet another trade concluded, they left and returned the month after that. Then the month after that and so on for years. Visits from the Westerners had became so common that Midoriya couldn't remember a time without them. That had a lot to do with the changes that swept over their quiet fishing village. Word had spread throughout the Kusari Isles—even as far as the Dynasty—about the travelers turned traders, and people flocked to their town to enjoy the venue. Midoriya went from an obscure trove, to trade hub overnight. Everyone prospered; fishermen became wealthy merchants, a tiny militia turned into a well funded army, but the biggest change occurred in the Tsukimura family. As trade proctors, they quickly rose to be the richest family of Unimari Island, much to the daimyo's dismay.

**Twenty-four years of consistent prosperity was amazing, but like all good things it came to an end. One month in late winter, suddenly and without warning, no flying machines came from the West. Most people didn't think anything of it at first, but when the lull carried over into the next month, then the month after that, it became clear there was a serious problem. Many people depended heavily on that trade, including the Tsukimuras. Without it, a panic induced recession quickly fell over their town. In a single year the once busy Midoriya became a barren shell of its former self. The river of traders that sustained it, had all but dried up while debts began to climb. Hardest hit was the Tsukimura family. They sold off tons of their assets to keep the town afloat, but that only led their own family's ruin. It was truly a bad time for everyone.**

**A year and one month to the day they disappeared, a Westerner flying machine suddenly reappeared in Midoriya. It caused an uproar of resentment throughout the town; everyone had felt betrayed on some level by the foreigners. However, it was misplaced spite. The townsfolk were shocked to learn these new traders weren't the same ones that came before. Gone was the gray uniforms, and organized dealings, these new Westerners were nothing more than a motley crew of opportunist. They had told the Tsukimuras that a war in their homeland forced an end to the trade, but they came as a private enterprise looking to continue it. Not one to live in the past, the town administrator pushed ahead for the sake of Midoriya. Sadly, there was a little snag before that could happen. The new traders demanded an official trade contract—a payment for trading rights up front. It was the worst possible thing to demand from the noble family; the recession had left them with little in terms of wealth.**

**Pressured by the condition of his people, and his own desperate situation, the Tsukimura Head used one of his only true valuables left, his blood. The noble family was descended from a long line of powerful runeweavers, and Tsukimura blood was highly coveted. His offered daughter was more than a fair payment for a trade contract, but the ignorant foreigners outright refused. It was a blatant insult to Kusari pride that only served to elevate tensions.**

**Interestingly enough, the deadlock was eventually resolved by the very daughter offered up for the blood payment. No one knew what the girl had said to the Westerner's leader to change his mind, but the man finally agreed to the administrator's terms, and even apologized for offending the noble.**

**It was a forward step in returning the town to prosperity, but no one felt relieved yet. The foreigners had taken their payment and left, but had yet to return. Sympathies went out to the administrator, but everyone's worries proved premature. A month and a half from they day they left, the shady Westerners returned. They were indeed true to their word, because periodic shipments had continued ever since…**

**II**

"Kyouya!" It was rude to yell in public, but he couldn't see his son anywhere. Three years had passed since the people of Midoriya enjoyed a return to their former glory, but sometimes Shiro wondered if they weren't better off as a quiet fishing village. The amount of travelers this time of year was ridiculous. "Kyouya!" Shiro pushed his way through the crowd and exited the warehouse. It wasn't any better outside than inside. Carts cluttered the road everywhere, and the smell of the unwashed yamatori—a giant flightless bird used as a beast of burden—clouded the air with stink. "Kyouy…" A man's carrying sack suddenly smacked him on the back of the head.

"Forgive me," said a middle aged merchant, who quickly bowed and moved away. With all this clutter it was hard to avoid bumping into others.

Rubbing the back of his head, Shiro's frustration grew to annoyance. Kyouya only ever wondered off to two places. One was to see Shinobu, Tsukimura-sama's eldest daughter, but she was currently out of town. That only left one other place. "Curse that boy." He stormed off to the large metal structure adjacent to the warehouse, and he soon came upon a wooden gate that blocked the stairway entrance. Two men, acting as guards, stood there chatting with one another. Shiro came to a halt, these two men were definitely not locals. They were both wearing brown coats fastened together with buttons, their legs were clothed in matching leggings, and leather boots completely enchased their feet. On top of that, they spoke in a strange guttural language.

(How long are we stuck on this rock?)

(Couldn't say, don't imagine we're leaving anytime soon with the boss's family visiting.)

(Figures.)

(Personally I hope we stay here indefinably. Chances are Mid-Childa is already flying the black flag.)

(Shut your mouth, you don't know that!)

(You're the new guy so let me fill you in a bit. Captain Jim was sent out to the front lines a month back to help supply the army, let me tell you, we got a glimpse of the Belkans on the way out…)

(Is it as bad as they say it is?)

(Worse, enemy soldiers as far as the eye can see and enough dragons to blot out the sun. If they weren't already punishing the boys we just helped, I doubt you'd be talking to me right now.)

(Truly?)

(Aye, and if I'm lying may the Light burn my eyes.)

"Excuse me," Shiro said with a half bow. He didn't want to interrupt the two foreigners, but they were blocking the tower entrance. "May I pass?"

The two men exchanged befuddled looks.

"May I pass?" Shiro said again, more firmly this time

The Westerner on the right rolled his eyes. (Probably wants to take a peak at the airship like the rest of the locals.) The one that spoke grabbed the man on the left and dragged him to the side. (By all means, Eastlander.)

Shiro didn't understand a single word the foreigner said, but the gesture was plain enough to read. He nodded and stepped by, proceeding up the stairs. When they were out of sight, he let out a sigh. "Foreigners." Normally they were easy enough to ignore, but their recent edginess was starting to get annoying. Shiro prided himself as a well traveled individual. He'd met with the majestic Hanyin of the Yue Dynasty, rode side-by-side the nomadic Doai of the Northern Tundra, and he'd even talked with the peaceful Ookami-jin youkai of Mono Island. In all of his travels, Shiro had never come across a people who looked and talked like Westerners did.

The final floor of the tower was truly a sight to behold. It was bustling with activity—mainly foreigners moving containers—but the amazing sight was object attached to the tower. The melon-shaped flying machine was huge—easily as big as the manor it hovered over—and it contained enough storage space to carry two warehouses full of cargo; that and over a hundred foreign traders who operated the thing. This current flying machine was a much larger version than the first one he ever saw, in fact, they seemed to be getting bigger every year. Shiro might have had his issues with the builders, but he respected their ability to create something so grand. He could understand why his son was so fascinated with them.

"Otou-san!" called out a man near the entrance to the flying machine.

"Don't yell, Kyouya. I fear you're picking up bad manners from these people." His son was as tall as he was, and the similarities didn't end there. The other man also possessed the same dark brown hair and tree colored eyes. Along with a matching kimono—a masculine styled version of their casual robes—it was easy to tell this twenty-nine year old was his blood. "Why did you run off…again?"

The younger man gave him an apologetic smile. "You won't believe who I met," Kyouya said as he made his way over. "It was the captain of the flying machine and get this…" The boy shook his head in remembrance. "He was Kusari, Otou-san."

"Kusari?" Shiro raised an eyebrow. Somehow he doubted a fellow islander would be captain of a flying machine. "You sure he wasn't just a foreigner that resembled a Kusari? They have dark-haired ones too."

"Actually, I'm an islander by blood and birth," said a man with a fluent, Onshu Island Kusari dialect.

Shiro turned to the loading ramp and saw another tall man stranding there. Aside from the foreigner clothing he wore, the man was definitely Kusari. His son wasn't mistaken. "It's been a long time, Nakajima-san."

The white-haired man, who had similar brown eyes, gave Shiro a reserved smile. "Twenty-seven years, Takamachi-san. Way too long."

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

"Okaa-san." Nanoha shifted in embarrassment. She was hoping to meet her family in the main room before they came back. Not as a surprise or anything, but to prevent them from seeing her little slip. There was one rule that her business savvy parents had always stressed, never leave the counter unattended. "Ano…I can explain."

Her mom's face went through several expressions; surprise, sadness, happiness, but she finally settled on disappointment. "How could you break the golden rule?" Momoko, a woman who had features that mirrored her own, sighed dramatically. "Never leave the customers unattended. It's disgraceful."

Nanoha couldn't hold back a cringe that formed on her face. This was not the first conversation she imagined having after being gone for three years. "Sorry, Okaa-san."

"Be sorry for the customers, I've raised you better than this."

"Sorry," Nanoha said again as she looked down at the floor. How is it that her mother's scowl could always make her feel like a ten year old again?

"Maa maa…" A warm, loving smile lit up Momoko's face. "Goddess how I missed you." The older brunette stepped forward and enveloped her in a warm hug. Showing physical affection was a rare thing even among family members, but the Takamachi were odd in that sense. Skinship was a commonality.

A smile soon lit up her face and Nanoha instantly returned the gesture. She noted her mother still smelled like fresh cake. "I missed you too, Okaa-san."

Momoko pulled back but didn't completely let go. "You've changed." The older brunette reached up and stroked her sideways ponytail. "You grew it out longer, ne?"

"I like it like this." Nanoha had rehearsed a dozen things to say upon her return, but at the moment none of those things came to mind.

Momoko sighed and finally let go. "That's not the only thing that's grown." The older woman motioned to the kitchen around her. "Your powers must have grown considerably if you managed control all these spells at the same time."

Nanoha shook her head. "Maybe just a little, but it mainly comes from focusing more. Learning to use what I have is a basic."

Her mother picked up an already baked piece of sweet bread, sniffed it, and then took a bite. She sampled the flavor noticeably. "Not bad for something you didn't make with your hands."

"The hard part was checking them all after they cooked." She still had a stomach ache from all the sweets she'd eaten. "Magic is a poor substitute for good taste."

"Mou, and hard work too." Momoko tapped her playfully on the head. "I'm impressed you managed to open the store by yourself, but don't use magic for something like baking. It's cheating."

"I wanted to surprise you." Nanoha leaned against a mess covered counter. The entire room was drenched in flour and other baking ingredients, but a not a single smidge marred her person—enchantments for a clean body maintained a clean mind, or so they taught her in the Temple. "So were you?"

"I'll say." Momoko gave her a proud smile. "You're doing well, Nanoha. You have much better control than I ever did."

She smiled back sadly. All women were born with the gift to use magic. Very small amounts in their first ten years, but with the onset of puberty, the gift started to grow exponentially. Trained properly, they could become amazing runeweavers. "You lost your abilities when you were only sixteen, Okaa-san. I'm sure you could of easily surpass my level if you continued training."

"Ara, I don't regret giving it up one bit." Momoko brushed a hand gently over her cheek. "Otherwise I wouldn't have an amazing son and two wonderful daughters. All women must eventually trade one form of magic for another."

Not all women, Nanoha swore she'd never give up the power she possessed. All women were born with ability to use magic, but not without a catch. The first time they mated it was forever lost. "I'm sorry, but for me it wouldn't be worth it." To her, there was no greater wonder in all the world than weaving the planes.

**II**

"_It's easy, just try it." A lavender-haired girl, who possessed a similar shade of eyes, bent down and scooped up a cupful of water in her ten year old hands. She was wearing a dark purple kimono, pulled up to her knees, and was currently standing at the edge of a mountain stream. It was a wonder she could maintain her footing in the turbulent waters._

"_Please get out of there, Suzuka-chan," a ten year old Nanoha said in exasperation. She promised her father that she'd keep an eye out for the other girl, and playing around in the Kayo River was promise breaker for sure. One misplaced step and a person could go tumbling for kilometers without end. If that wasn't bad enough, her sister Miyuki told her that water spirits snatched little girls who wandered into the deep parts._

"_It's okay, Nanoha-chan." Suzuka smiled kindly at her. The girl opened her palms and allowed the water inside to slide away. Nanoha watched as the liquid slowed to a stop before it touched the stream. A moment later Suzuka motioned with her fingers and the liquid traveled upward and returned to her palm. _

"_Suzuka-chan!" she said in bright-eyed wonder. _

"_I've been practicing this for awhile so I could show you." Her long time friend let go of the water and let it return to the river. "I can even change the current." To emphasize her point, the lavender-haired girl lifted a foot from the rushing river, after holding it up for a short second, she slowly lowered it again. Even before her feet touched the water it began to part and go around her. That explained how she was able to keep from getting washed downstream._

"_Amazing!" Nanoha was never a jealous person, or so she liked to think, but at the this very moment she envied the youngest Tsukimura. "Since when?" _

"_Before winter ended."_

_That meant her friend's power awoke four weeks ago, and she could already control the water element. Sure it was the easiest of the elements to mold—most girls who never even received training could use it—but Suzuka was only ten. Not only that, but she figured out how to do it on her own. "How does it work!?" She had to yell to be heard over the rushing water._

"_Ano, I don't know it just…does." _

_Nanoha crept closer to the riverbank and kneeled down. After rolling up her sleeves, she bent forward and scooped a handful of water. "You sure there isn't a trick to it, Suzuka-chan?" __The other girl shook her head while wading through the water. Now that she was closer, Nanoha could actually see the river flowing around other the girl. _

_"It may sound strange, but try feeling the water."_

_That did sound strange, of course she could feel the water. "Eh?"_

_Suzuka leaned forward and looked at the puddle in her hand. "Don't feel the surface of the water. Try to feel the heart of it."_

"_Suzuka-chan…" Nanoha groaned. "…that doesn't make any sense."_

_The lavender-haired girl giggled. "Na-no-ha." She touched the water in Nanoha's palm. "Trust me." With a twirl of a finger, a whirlpool formed. Even when she pulled the finger away the water continued to spin._

"_Now you're just showing off." Nanoha splashed the handful of water in Suzuka's face. Not to be outdone, the lavender-haired girl motioned her arms and water shot up from the river to drench Nanoha from head-to-toe. "Mou, cheater!"_

"_It's what you get, Nanoha-chan," Suzuka said teasingly, still giggling. Both of them enjoyed a good-natured laugh before Suzuka abruptly stopped._

"_What is it?" Suzuka started to sway back and forth and she grabbed the girl's arm to steady her. "Are you okay?" _

"_I feel…dizzy."_

"_That's because you're still not used to your power." Nanoha began to guide the other girl back onto the shore._

"_Ahh!" yelled out Suzuka as she lost her footing. Now that the girl's concentration was broken, the full force of the river slammed into her like a wall. _

"_No!" Nanoha tried to hold on to Suzuka, but the pull against her was too strong. She watched in horror as her grip slid away. _

"_Nano…" Suzuka yelled before her head was abruptly pushed underwater by the current. A moment later it resurfaced. "Help!"_

_With adrenaline pumping, Nanoha was on her feet in a split second running along the shore. "Suzuka, use your power to slow the water!" If Suzuka had heard her, the other girl didn't show it. "Please…I…can't…keep…up." She had never run so fast in her entire life, and it was already making her breath hard. It was at this moment she cursed the fact she wasn't more physically inclined. Miyuki or Kyouya wouldn't have a problem keeping pace with her panicking friend. All thoughts were quickly cut short when she saw the approaching waters. Not only was it speeding up, but there was also jagged rocks poking up from the bend ahead. _

"_Help!"_

"_I'm coming!" Nanoha suddenly tripped and slid near the bank, her eyes widening in alarm. She knew a single pause would make her lose too much distance on her friend. "No!" Something inside of her clicked, and in that brief moment, all worry faded from her mind. _

_Nanoha instantly threw her hands into the water. Like a spreading crystal vein, the water flash froze and shot off down the river, a yamatori at full speed couldn't outrun the rate of the freezing. Soon the vein curved in and stopped on the other side of the rocks. Panting, Nanoha slowly removed her hands. In a different situation she would have marveled at what just happened, but right now she jumped to her feet and ran along the river bank. "Suzuka-chan?" She slid to a stop when she caught sight of her friend._

"_What just happened?" The other girl sat up and looked around wearily. Suzuka was currently sitting in a bowl of ice occupying the middle of the river. _

"_I don't quite understand either." Nanoha looked the girl over from head-to-toe. Fortunately, there didn't appear to be any injuries. "Are you hurt?"_

"_I'm think I'm fine." _

_Sighing in relief, Nanoha collapsed to her knees on the riverbank. "Mou, I was so terrified!"_

"_You weren't the only one." Suzuka's violet eyes met her blue. "Thank you. If you hadn't saved me I'd…" The other girl paused. "Are you alright, Nanoha-chan? You look really pale."_

"_What do you mean? I feel…" Whatever assurance she was about to give died on her lips. Nanoha's vision rapidly blurred a heartbeat before she passed out._

**II**

"I hope you can stay longer this time." Momoko playfully glared at her. "Ara, the last you visited we barely talked."

Temple business had to come first before her personal life. The last time she was here, Nanoha didn't have the luxury of catching up. "I have some time now." She stood away from the counter. "Should we get comfortable?"

"Nanoha!" Her mother made a clicking sound of disappointment. "Did you forget your manners at the Temple?"

"Eh?"

"You," Momoko poked her on the shoulder, "need to clean up this kitchen. I'll be helping your sister with the customers."

"But…"

"Maa maa, I'll come back as soon as the crowd dies down. After that, I want to hear about everything, and don't spare the details." As the older brunette left, her mother added, "And no magic."

"Yes, Okaa-san." Nanoha let out a sigh and went to work. Some things never changed. Her mother was kind, caring, and considerate, but when it came to the shop business was always first. It was the same with her father and siblings. She'd be lying if that hadn't made her feel like the odd one out, but their interests in life lay elsewhere.

"Eh…" She looked around in shock. Nanoha hadn't realized she made such a mess, and no magic meant no easy way out. She shrugged, despite what her mother may think, the Takamachi work ethic was still alive and kicking. "Charge!"

Half an hour later—after a time of relaxed monotony that brought back her childhood memories—she was almost done and her mother still wasn't back yet. Stowing the supplies, cleaning the counters, and washing the ovens was already taken care of. The next task was actually a fun one.

"Mou!" she groaned, closing the box's sliding door. Nanoha wondered what two-bit runeweaver enchanted the cooling box, it was practically lukewarm. Her parents were lucky the perishables hadn't already spoiled.

_A three point rune should do nicely._

Nanoha walked around the cart-sized box and examined the pattern etched on the back. Re-enchanting the thing shouldn't take that long, not for a runeweaver of her training. She quickly used both of her hands to form a triangle shape between her fingers. Then, in a heartbeat, her sight shifted to peer into the planes—people with no training found it impossible, new acolytes at the Temple sometimes took hours, but Nanoha, on the hand, had honed her inner-eye on a level that rivaled the high priestesses.

_Earth as a foundation should make it last._

A triangle shaped rune appeared directly over the previous one on the wooden box. At each point of the triangle, a symbol formed that almost matched the word for 'tree' in the Kusari language.

_Now for the heart. _

Water magics were her specialty. Nanoha had yet to achieved the rank of High Priestess—that only came from decades of experience—but no runeweaver at the Temple could match her on this plane. She used her inner-eye to see the blue-colored, crystalline weaves that flowed in the very air.

Drawing from the elements was a simple task. Magic was woven around everything, even living beings like men and women—though females were the only ones born with the ability to bend it. She focused on one those elemental weaves in particular, a blue-colored one that existed on the first plane. After taking hold of it firmly with her inner-eye, she injected her spirit to give the weave structure. It wasn't any different than sowing, take a thread and shape its desired end.

A new rune suddenly formed inside the triangle, and this one was similar to the Kusari word for 'river'.

_That should do it._

Nanoha shifted out of the enhanced sight and looked over at her rune. This spell should last well over a year. Walking around to the front, she opened the box to check her handy work. A blast of cold air, practically arctic, immediately rushed out and startled her.

"Eh…I think I overdid it."

She had the talent, the training, and the skill, but it boggled her mind that sometimes her spells would be overly strong for no apparent reason. Her teachers had once said Nanoha's inner-eye had a tendency to wander, in other words, it dug deeper in the weave than it should.

**II**

_The sound of the drums started to beat again once the clapping and cheering faded. Several actors—some of them professional, but most simple townsfolk—stood and faced each other on the stage. All of them wore extravagant costumes; painfully bright kimonos, garish armors, and heavy, almost comical makeup._

"_I feel bad for Nii-chan," said a twelve year old Nanoha. "He looks so silly." She leaned over and stole a sweetened bulb fruit from Miyuki's stick. The other girl noticed too late to stop her._

"_Aa, those are mine!" Her twenty year old sister groaned and nudged her playfully. "And Nii-san is supposed to look like that, now hush, this is the best part."_

_The actors on the stage were divided into two groups, each surrounding a central character. The main actor on the left played the protagonist of the play, the Moon Princess. She—or he since all the actors were men—was dressed in a white kimono standing behind several boys dressed in padded samurai armor. _

_Over to the right side of the stage stood the antagonists of the play. The central figure there, played by none other than her brother Kyouya, was the Sun Princess. The costume he wore was a ridiculous yellow sheet tied together with a belt. His surrounding guards weren't any better; most of them were wearing black colored sacks with buckets on their heads._

_Kyouya began to dance and spin, his face making expressions of rage and disgust. His fellow guards accentuated each gesture by pointing their spears at the Moon Princess. Their acting was so poor that most of the people in the crowd couldn't stop themselves from laughing, Nanoha included. If was perfectly acceptable though, those actors were only chosen a week before the annual Moon Festival. They were supposed to act poorly._

_When it was time for the group on the left to respond, Nanoha marveled at how much better they were—not too surprising since they were all from a professional acting troupe. It started with the Moon Princess sadly looking over at the Sun Princess. Bowing, she tried to walk passed her guards, but her loyal men wouldn't let her. They formed a line in front of the princess's path and drew their swords at the other group. _

_The drums—that provided the pulse for the performance—began to beat faster. _

_That was when the Moon Princess began to gesture madly, as if pleading for the guards to step aside, but the wall of samurai wouldn't budge._

_The drums were finally accompanied by a haunting solo from a samisen—a native Kusari string instrument._

_It was Kyouya's turn now. Pushing his guards forward, he stamped his foot and pointed at the Moon Princess. Soon a battle broke out between the samurai and the Sun guards. _

_The Moon Princess pretended to cry as she turned away while holding a hand in front of her face in horror. _

_After an entertaining little display of mock fighting, the samurai fell to floor pretending death. Acting triumphant, the Sun guards approached the Moon Princess and restrained her. She attempted to fight them off so she could run to the fallen samurai, but they held her steady. Kyouya—who made a very comical looking princess—mocked the Moon Princess with a sneer._

_The drum's tempo began to slow, but each strike became louder._

"_I wish I could see their faces better," Miyuki said suddenly, sighing in resigned frustration._

_Nanoha felt bad for her sister; the older girl was born with faded sight. It was sad that all the healing magic in the world couldn't fix something a person was born with. "They're not doing much of anything at the moment, just trying to build up the suspense." Her sister normally managed just fine in spite of her ailment—Miyuki's vision wasn't faded enough to impair her—but at times like these it was difficult. Plays were all about the facial expressions and body language. When the characters were relatively still, like they were now, Miyuki was left in the dark._

_The actors began to move again. In a display of defiance, the Moon Princess abruptly shook off the captors and kneeled next to her fallen protectors. The Sun guards went forward to restrain her again, but the Moon Princess pulled a knife and pressed it against her chest. _

_The Sun Princess quickly held out a hand to stop the guards, in turn, she began to act desperate while gesturing at the other. To Kyouya's credit, he made a good show of it. _

_The Moon Princess quickly shook her head and plunged the fake knife into her chest. _

_All music, being played at the Midoriya Shrine, came to a halt. Even if the townsfolk saw this play every year it didn't stop them from waiting, with bated breaths, for the next scene to unfold._

_Finally the actors on the stage began to wobble back and forth while the Sun guards pulled back to the their princess in surprise. _

_Looking up one last time, the Moon Princess slid over in pretended death. At the same moment, the fallen Samurai slowly rose from the ground. Each of them appeared confused, like they were surprised to be alive after dieing in battle. _

_A haunting melody from the samisen began to play again, but this time it wasn't accompanied by the drums._

_Recovering from their surprise, the samurai spotted their princess and rushed over to her side. Meanwhile, the Sun guards all tumbled to the floor, leaving their Princess standing alone. Kyouya quickly raised his fist to the sky in defiance before falling to floor as well. _

_The music finally wrapped up the play as the samurai sadly carried the fallen Moon Princess off the stage. When they were gone, applause instantly erupted throughout the shrine. _

"_They did a good job this year, especially Nii-san," Nanoha said adamantly to her sister._

"_I wuh toke yar werd for it," Miyuki said while chewing a piece of bulb fruit. She eventually swallowed it and smiled. "Aa, it's not over yet. The main event is coming up." _

"_Thanks for reminding me." Nanoha's earlier nervousness returned with a vengeance. She looked around but couldn't spot the Temple representatives anywhere._

"_They'll be here, Nanoha-chan," Suzuka said supportively. The lavender-haired girl was always empathic to her moods. _

_Nanoha smiled with as much confidence as she could muster. "You're right." She could spot the priestesses easily enough when they arrived. Being in the front row did have its advantage—normally this kind of seating was reserved for nobles, but the Tsukimuras had invited her family to join them this year. Nanoha was currently sitting next to Miyuki and Suzuka, while her mom and dad stood off to the right near Administrator Tsukimura. The only two people missing was her brother and the eldest Tsukimura daughter. Kyouya ran home the moment the play ended to change out of his silly costume, while Shinobu, no doubt, was waiting outside for his return. Nanoha had to smile at that. Those two were definitely acting, what Suzuka called, lovey-dovey._

_A woman soon stepped onto the stage, and everyone in the crowd hushed. _

"_They're finally here," Nanoha whispered in awe. _

_The lady was wearing the ivory kimono of the Temple, but unlike their normal garbs, this woman had a cowl draped over her face that barred her eyes from the public. She was a seer, the rare priestesses said to inherit the eyes of the gods. Their affinity for the wind element was so great, their eyes physically manifested outside the normal plane. Needless to say, they could see things that no others could; a person's soul, their potential, and even future with just a single glance._

"_Today we witnessed a story about how our precious Yue-hime sacrificed her life to save the world." The seer's voice was crisp and clear, drawing everyone's attention immediately. "Though we were saved…"_

_The seer paused and everyone looked up to the moon in reverence. This was a common part of the festival every year._

"…_our beloved night guardian paid the price."_

_While she faced the sky, Nanoha marveled at the moon's majesty; on clear nights like this it was hard not to. The moon was a series of seven large fragments that stretched across the stars, connected by tiny little pieces that peppered the places in between. It was once said that the moon used to be a single round globe that resembled the sun, but it was hard to imagine._

"_Let us never forget Yue-hime's sacrifice, and the sacrifice of her children. Even though Aika mourns her daughter's passing, Yue-hime's light still lives on within us, her chosen, her legacy." The seer spread her arms wide, and a rune suddenly appeared in front of her. Gesturing to the heavens, it shot up into the sky and exploded with a brilliant rain of colors. The seer continued to cast one after another for the crowd's enjoyment._

_The light show was impressive, but Nanoha's eyes was still glued on the night guardian. The glow given off by the seven moon fragments—called the seven hearts of Aika—was so bright that most of the time people didn't need lamps to see at night. _

_The seer continued speaking after the little display was over, "And so we've come to this. Every five years the Temple chooses a single girl from each town to receive the heavenly teachings. If a maiden is determined to remain pure of body…." _

"_Magic or celibacy?" Miyuki giggled loud enough to draw Nanoha's attention. "Tough choice, ne?"_

"_Mou, Onee-chan," Nanoha shushed, holding a finger over her lips. The last thing she wanted was to be embarrassed in front of the Temple representatives. _

"……_then let us commence the tests for the town of Midoriya." The seer bowed humbly as she stepped back. Behind the woman, several more runeweavers appeared onstage carrying items while a group of men set up a table. Those men were all Aicho—eunuchs who pledged their life in the service of the Temple. They wore dark blue tunics, matching cloth masks of the same color that completely covered their face, and were among the rare individuals in the Isles, aside from the foreigners and soldiers, who donned leggings. They made for a somber sight. Aicho were a clear example of how devoted her people were to Aika, believed to be the greatest of the gods by the Kusari. _

"_Are you nervous, Nanoha-chan?" Suzuka whispered to her._

_She was beyond nervous at this point. "Not a bit," Nanoha said jokingly. _

"_I know both of us are competing, but I still wish you luck." The lavender-haired girl smiled at her softly. _

"_Thank you." Her friend's sincerity was always heartening. It was hard to believe Suzuka was a noble. Girls that grew up in the richer families tended to treat Nanoha, who grew up in the commons, little better than a servant._

_Miyuki plucked another bulb from her fruit stick and threw it into her mouth. "You're really determined to be a runeweaver, ne?" _

"_Of course." Nanoha was amazed with how much her powers had grown ever since her awakening. She could only imagine how much stronger she could get with official training. "I'll be chosen for sure." The screening to get accepted into the Temple occurred every five years, and when it did, only one girl per town was allowed. Nanoha had a good grasp of the locals, and her only real competition was the girl standing next to her. Her friend was a Tsukimura, and it was blood cultivated from centuries of carefully planned marriages. Consequently, Suzuka's innate abilities were on a whole different level from the rest of them, including Nanoha._

_After about ten minutes the crowd was starting to get impatient, but the Temple finally set everything up. "All girl's who wish to be tested, please come up."_

_Nanoha took a deep breath and joined a handful of girls on the stage. Among them, she and Suzuka were the only ones below the age of fifteen. They stuck out like a bug in a bowl of rice porridge. Nanoha regretted allowing her mother to pick out the kimono she wore—bright pink with yellow flowers was a bad choice for the serious occasion. Her predicament was made even worse when her doting parents let out a cheer of encouragement from the front row. "Mou!"_

_The seer returned and gathered everyone's attention. "The power of the gods is the ability to wield the four primary elements; earth, wind, water, and even fire. To see if you meet our requirements we shall test you on each one of them." The lady held out an arm to the table beside her. On it was a bowl of water, a pile of sand, a piece of parchment, and a candle._

_Nanoha swallowed in nervousness._

"_Please," the priestess said, motioning to the first girl in line. _

_The girl tentatively nodded and stood by the table awaiting instruction. The hopeful appeared even more nervous than Nanoha was, and she could understand why. The girl was clearly from a poorer peasant family. If a daughter was accepted into the Temple, the family would receive a stipend from the daimyo as a reward. It was a game between the Isle rulers to see who had the most runeweavers under their command, but for the indigent families who received the stipend, it was food on the table. This girl probably had a lot riding on her shoulders._

"_Listen closely," continued the seer, "this is a test of primal control, so the use of runes is forbidden. Now start with water. I need you to simply turn it into ice."_

_The girl nodded and put a hand over the bowl. It took a moment or two, but finally the temperature lowered and the liquid solidified._

"_Very good." The seer nodded to the other runeweavers. Those women, varying in ages, made markings in the parchments they carried. "Now move on to earth. Simply put, mixed in the sand is traces of iron ore. Use your control over the element to separate the two."_

_Taking a deep breath, the girl put her hand over the pile of sand. After a minute nothing happened. _

"_Again."_

_The girl grimaced and her face scrunched up in concentration. She was trying her best, noticeably shaking from the exertion, but after a time she relented. "I'm sorry," she said sadly, backing away from the table._

_The crowd started whispering amongst themselves, while the seer bowed to the girl. "Will you please step down. You're not the one." The hopeful nodded and quickly left the stage in tears. _

_Nanoha's heart went out the to the girl, but this was just the beginning. The same scene was repeated over and over again for the next hour. All candidates would successfully complete the first test, but they usually washed out in the second and third. Not a single one had made it to the final challenge yet. _

"_Next," called out the seer._

_Finally it was Suzuka's turn. "Good luck," she whispered to her friend, despite what it would mean if the other girl got picked._

_The lavender-haired noble gave her a smile. "Thank you, Nanoha-chan." Suzuka walked over and took position in front of the table. _

"_First," the seer said mechanically. It was as if the test themselves held little interest for the woman "Freeze the water."_

_Her longtime friend nodded and placed a hand over the bowl. Unlike every girl that came before her, Suzuka didn't appear fazed in the slightest, Everyone soon understood why. "You just need me to freeze it?" The water shot out of the bowl, swirled around in the air, then came to rest in her left palm. Suzuka quickly motioned with her right hand and the water morphed into a flower. Gradually, it solidified into ice to maintain its shape._

"_Very good." For the first time since the start of the tests, the seer seemed impressed. "Now for the second challenge. Separate the iron ore."_

_Suzuka placed her ice flower in the bowl and watched as it melted back into water. The girl then turned to the pile of sand. With another wave of her hand, two piles instantly formed where there used to be one. _

_Even from her vantage point, Nanoha could tell the shiner pile was pristine._

"_Acceptable." Runeweavers went to work adamantly marking in those parchments. Meanwhile, the seer pointed to the third test. "Same as I instructed with the others, use only the power of wind to fold the paper into a crane."_

_Suzuka impressed everyone again when her hands started to mimic the motions of a fan dance. Each swinging gesture folded the paper until it finally made the perfect origami crane. Seemingly satisfied, Suzuka put down her hands and stepped back._

"_Very acceptable." The seer smiled at her friend, shocking the other runeweavers nearby. It must have been a rare sight amongst them. "Now for the last test. Light the candle."_

_It sounded simple, but in truth it was the hardest of the four tests. Spells couldn't be derived from the fourth plane, and controlling the fire element was impossible. At best, all a runeweaver could do was use their primal control to ignite a small flame. _

"_Okay." Suzuka actually looked nervous as she stepped up to the table. The girl extended both hands with her index fingers pointed at the candle's wick. A minute passed and sweat began to form on Suzuka's brow. The priestess started to nod in acceptance, but she stopped when the candle abruptly ignited. _

_The crowd let out a cheer. It probably meant her dreams would be on hold for another five years, but Nanoha happily joined in as well—she was truly proud of her friend. There was no way the other girl wouldn't be chosen now. Suzuka must have realized that too, because she met her eyes and gave her an apologetic expression. _

"_Failed." The seer's voice cut through the crowd and everyone quieted down. _

"_I…failed?" Suzuka looked confused, a confusion shared by everyone._

"_This isn't your path." The seer didn't even bother explaining. "Next."_

_Suzuka fidgeted a bit before she abruptly bowed and walked off the stage. The girl avoided everyone's gaze, especially the disappointed look her father gave her on the way down._

"_Next."_

_Everyone looked at Nanoha expectantly. In a daze, she walked over to take the spot her friend just occupied. "I'm ready." She couldn't believe Suzuka had failed. If the other girl couldn't pass the tests, then what prayer did she have?_

_The Aichos went about preparing the table for a new round of tests; they refilled the bowl, shifted around the sand, exchanged the paper, and put out the candle. "First test," the seer said lazily, as if she already knew the results before they played out. _

_Nanoha sighed and calmed her mind. She decided to keep it simple. Placing her hand over the bowl, she focused on the water particles and used her energy to shift their form. The liquid instantly flash froze, the temperature dropping so quickly it shattered the bowl. "Ah!" She backed away in alarm. As calm as her mind was, it didn't stop her nervousness from rearing its head at the last second to mess up her concentration. "S-sorry." The seer didn't even flinch. Nanoha could only imagine what was going on behind those veiled eyes._

_The seer motioned to the second challenge, and the other runeweavers gave her a strange look. "Next test."_

_Nanoha didn't question the woman as she quickly moved on to the pile of sand. Her mind opened up to the earth and she looked for the iron particles within it. It took a moment, but her inner-eye could easily distinguish the metal from the common dirt. The hard part was separating the two. With a motion of her hand, she let go with her energy. Misfortune struck twice, because the pile exploded in a plume of dust. "Eh…"_

_The seer calmly brushed the dirt off herself, and everyone in the crowd waited with bated breath. _

_Looking down, she could see that the dirt was gone. The iron, on the other hand, formed a solid ball on the table. "Sorry," Nanoha said sadly. Her control had never been this bad before, and it was plain embarrassing._

"_Next."_

_Nanoha looked up. "You want me to continue?"_

"_Next."_

_Swallowing the lump in her throat, she nervously moved to the piece of paper. Nanoha couldn't afford another mistake, so she deiced to focus even harder. The crowd suddenly let out a coo of sympathy; the clear rip of paper was loud enough to be heard by the audience. Again Nanoha had overdid it. Too much energy was funneled into the gust of wind, and it sliced the piece of paper cleanly in half._

"_Next."_

_Nanoha blinked at the seer in disbelief; she couldn't believe the woman wanted her to continue. Never one to give up, or question good fortune, she moved to the candle. Her earlier fears came back and smacked her in the face. One way or another it was over now. The next test was fire. "Here goes nothing." Placing a hand over the candle, she forced her inner-eye to peer into the forth plane. _

"_Proceed." urged the seer with a note of impatience._

_Little did the woman know, Nanoha already was. A minute, then two, finally three minutes would pass and still nothing. Try as she might, her inner-eye was blank. The fourth plane—the plane where the fire weave was said to exist—was like a barren void of darkness. _

"_Something wrong?" the seer said with an odd tone to her voice, something along the lines of satisfaction. _

"_I can't." Nanoha backed away from the table slowly. "No matter what I try, I just can't see into the forth plane……I never could." She finally found the courage to look at the woman, and what she saw surprised her. The seer was smiling._

"_Very good." The woman turned to the other runeweavers. They didn't speak, but they all nodded their heads in silent agreement. That was when the seer abruptly walked to the edge of the stage and addressed the crowd. "The trials for this cycle are over. We've finally found the girl who meets the requirements." The seer motioned to Nanoha. "Tell them your name."_

_Nanoha was still rooted to the floor in silence. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Eh?"_

"_What is your name, Child?"_

"_T-Takamachi…Takamachi Nanoha."_

"_So be it, may the blessing of Aika remain strong in you." _

_Taking a cue from the seer, the crowd began to applaud, none more louder than her parents in the front row. All the attention was making her blush, and the noise almost prevented her from hearing what the seer said next._

"_Takamachi……Nanoha." The woman shifted her head slightly and looked to the sky, probably seeing things beyond this world. "That name suits you, but you'll discover your true name in time."_

**II**

"Tell me everything," her mother said firmly. "As I said, don't hold anything back." Momoko had finally returned after Nanoha finished tidying up the kitchen. It wasn't as busy in the afternoons as it was in the mornings, so Miyuki could handle the store by herself. With some time to spare, they both decided to retire to the adjacent tearoom.

Her mom brought over two cups of tea and placed one on the mat beside her. Nanoha gratefully picked it up while the older brunette joined her on the floor. "I wish I could tell you I'm visiting, Okaa-san," Nanoha said regretfully, "and to a certain extent I am, but it's Temple business."

"Oh." Momoko shook her head. "Is your family not important enough to warrant a visit from time-to-time?"

"Mou, it's not that simple." Nanoha took a slow, drawn out sip of her drink; it gave her a moment to reflect. Why was it the older she got, the more complicated things had to be. "The Temple doesn't just let me leave when I want to."

"I know, I know." Momoko said in understanding. "I was only kidding. It's not like I'd forget what it was like there before I met your tou-san." The older brunette cocked her head and smiled. "Is that old crone still Mistress of the Temple?"

"Kuro-sama?" Nanoha almost spat out her tea with a laugh. "Nya ha-ha, of course she is. I actually have a theory she's really a Shinma of Misfortune, bound for all eternity to terrorize new students and keep the healers in practice."

"The more I think about it, the more sense it makes." Her mom's smile deepened. "Did you know my kaa-san studied under her too?"

Nanoha stopped drinking her tea mid-sip. "Baa-chan studied at the Temple?' All these years no one ever told her that. It was heartening to know her mother and grandmother both got accepted into the Temple.

Momoko let out a small laugh and leaned over. "You would be surprised. Your Baa-chan studied at the Temple, same with her kaa-san and her kaa-san before that."

"Amazing." Nanoha was indeed following an impressive tradition. She had no idea that her family, who recently moved out of the peasant class in a single generation, had that kind of history.

**II**

_A fourteen year old Nanoha slammed against the wall and slid down slowly. Her temple kimono was in shambles; cuts lined her neck, burn marks stretched around the right shoulder, and a nasty welt began to form under her left eye. _

"_I didn't say you could take a break."_

"_Ehh." Nanoha slowly cracked open the uninjured eye to look down at her hands. A series of rings lined each finger that housed enchanted gems, or they used to. Those painstakingly crafted stones were all completely shattered now. They were supposed to protect her from harmful spells during training, but not even instructor made charms could shield Nanoha from the mistress's wrath._

"_I expected better from you," said an old woman dressed elegantly in a white kimono—its silver trim signified her as an elder priestess, as if her appearance weren't enough. No one knew the lady's real age, but she looked to be in her late eighties, had dark brown eyes, and possessed rich, ivory white hair tied together in a bun. _

_Nanoha could barely move, let alone respond. "Err…"_

"_Che, you're overconfidence is astounding for an acolyte. Just because you can best a novice instructor, doesn't mean you stand a chance against me." The old lady's face scrunched up in a grimace. It was deeply wrinkled like dry leather, and it earned her dozens of nicknames among the priestesses. The one that everyone favored, including Nanoha, was 'crone'._

"_This is only my second year, Kuro-sama." Nanoha wasn't one to make excuses, or even to complain, but the old crone was being unfair. Out of all the other girls sent here to train in the arts, the Mistress of the Temple—the head of the school—had singled her out. "I can't form a defense against every attack." _

"_It shouldn't matter what kind or how many, be prepared for anything."_

"_Yes, Kuro-sama," she said dejectedly. The nonstop barrage of sparring sessions, pop quizzes, and injuries were beginning to take its toll. The mistress had been right. When Nanoha started her second year she was overconfident, her first year had proven her abilities were levels ahead of the rest. That was until Kuro-sama had taken over her training personally. It caused a big stir among the Temple hierarchy, because the mistress had more important duties than supervising a second year, but in spite of that, Kuro-sama found the time to teach her some humility every chance she got. "I just need to figure out a way to stop that attack."_

_The mistress raised a wrinkled eyebrow. "That much is obvious."_

_When it came to defensive spells, Nanoha was unmatched due to her strong affinity with the water element. All women were naturally strong in the first plane, but her attunement was abnormally so. She would win duel after duel just wearing down her opponent with a perfect defense; voiding water attacks, shattering earth spell, and even erecting barriers that wind would fail to penetrate. "Please, Kuro-sama, at least tell me how to fight against something I can't even see."_

"_How does a monk fight with a blindfold?" the mistress retorted._

_Nanoha didn't see the relevance. "Anticipating the attack?"_

"_No, he learns to see without seeing."_

_Nanoha was half tempted to sigh at yet another nonsensical response to a serious question. Kuro-sama was well aware of her handicap; most girl's inner-eye could see the fourth plane—the fire plane—enough so to erect a defense against it. Nanoha's one shortcoming as a runeweaver was an inability to see the fourth plane at all. It was a weakness the mistress exploited every time._

"_Bah, you're not paying attention. Fire isn't even a complex plane, it's only a primal force."_

"_But…"_

"_If you can't even stop my simple attacks, then I pity the poor souls you have to protect in the future," the crone said derisively. "There are Oni and Shinma out there that can wield the fire element as easily as breathing. What good is a perfect defense if it has a hole that big in it?" _

"_Yes, Kuro-sama." Humbled yet again, Nanoha managed to move off the wall so she could bow before her teacher. "Please instruct me then. I wish to learn how to see…without seeing."_

"_Aa, so you're finally ready to stop rolling your eyes at the things I say?"_

_Nanoha had never done anything of the sort to an instructor before, but she doubted the mistress cared. "Yes, Kuro-sama."_

"_Che, I've heard that before." The old crone narrowed her brown eyes. "Or do you plan to waste my time like the others?"_

_Nanoha was confused. "Others?"_

"_Yes, the other you." The mistress sighed, not really looking at Nanoha. "The same you that has wasted my time for decades. Some you's say they won't make it and end up quitting, other you's fall in love with men and destroy the birthright, and some you's, like the current you, end up using the gift recklessly enough to get themselves killed. It happens time and time again, and I'm getting tired of it." The lady sighed, a sadder one this time. "Such a waste." _

_Nanoha blinked in confusion. Kuro-sama was renown for being strict, unforgiving, and eccentric, but today she wanted to add crazy to that the list. "This is only my second year, Kuro-sama." _

"_Bah!" The old crone waved her off and stepped out onto the veranda that lined the training dojo. "Takahashi was it?"_

_She always had to remind the mistress of her identity. At least this time Kuro-sama was relatively close. "Ano, Takamachi, Takamachi Nanoha."_

"_Un, that name suits you." The old lady turned and met her eyes. It looked more the like gaze of someone who had just met her instead of someone ready to leave. "Ara, you look like the nine hells swallowed you whole."_

_Nanoha self-consciously adjusted her tattered robes. Fortunately, there was enough still attached to maintain her modesty. "Sorry."_

"_Feel sorry for the Aicho," the Mistress of the Temple said with a rare snicker. "Go to the shrine and get those wounds looked at." _

"_But…"_

"_They need practice too, now go." It was the last thing the crone said before heading off with a surprisingly limber gait._

_When Kuro-sama was out of earshot, Nanoha chanced a sigh. "Nine hells huh?" She gathered what dignity she had left and started to make her way to the shrine area. _

_The Temple was a massive complex built on the top of a mountain isolated from the rest of the world. No roads in, no roads out. The only way to reach it was by way of the Wind Corridors—enchanted gates connecting shrines throughout the Isles. The complex was divided into three sections. The first section was, for acolytes like Nanoha, the main school; fully equipped with dorms, dojo, and demanding teachers. The second sections was a castle-like building that housed and trained Aicho; she imagined it was similar to the martial teachings her father passed on to her siblings. As the for the final section of the Temple, the shrine area, a second school was present for a smaller number of acolytes that were trained in the arts of healing. It was highly selective, and only girl's with strong affinities with the second plane—the plane of earth—were eligible to attend._

"_Is anyone around?" she called out to the empty shrine. This was actually the first time her injuries warranted a visit to this place. She didn't know what to expect_

_Nanoha came to a stop, bowed her head, and issued a silent prayer. Before her was an immense statue of Aika, Goddess of the Moon. The sculpture towered the small courtyard, and it portrayed a woman that was beauty personified. Aika was womanly, tall, graceful, and possessed long ivory hair that swirled around her body like a whirlpool. The image easily captured the majesty normally associated with the Moon, but it didn't stop there. The deity's face was exotic, almost feline; deep eyes of pure white, long tapered ears, and skin colored a supernatural shade of blue. _

_Nanoha finally finished her prayer. It was rare to actually pray to a deity, but it was a custom followed by the priestesses. For the Kusari, honoring the spirit of their ancestors held precedence over the gods. "Is anyone around?" she called out again._

"_In here," said a girl's soft voice. It came from the building behind the statue. _

_Nanoha slowly crept up the stairs, deposited her sandals on the holding mat, and opened the sliding door. "Pardon my intrusion." _

"_Over here."_

_Nanoha turned to the east side of the room. Again there was another dedication to Aika, but that wasn't what she was looking at. Below the shrine, sitting with her legs extended out in front of her, was a girl around the same age as her. She was wearing an identical white kimono, had short brown hair, and her eyes were a matching shade of blue to her own. "Hello. I hope I'm not interrupting." Nanoha noticed the girl was lighting candles for the shrine._

"_Oh no, I was just changing these out," the girl said warmly before her blue eyes suddenly widened in alarm. "Goddess! Are you okay?"_

_Nanoha looked away in embarrassment, subconsciously moving to cover up her more exposed parts. "I was training with the mistress."_

"_I take it she didn't hold back." A wave from the girl got her attention. "Over here." The other acolyte motioned for her to sit on the mat beside her. "I'm only in training, but I'll see what I can do. The other priestesses are having their evening meals in the main hall."_

"_I see." Nanoha crept over and sat next to the other girl._

_The brunette rotated her torso to meet her. "You must be Takamachi-san then."_

"_You know of me?"_

"_You mentioned sparring with Kuro-sama." The brown-haired girl gave her a sympathetic smile. "Everyone has been talking about you."_

"_Eh?" Nanoha said in surprise._

"_I didn't mean it like that." The other girl quickly held up a hand and made a sign of apology. "Just Temple gossip about the girl being favored by Kuro-sama."_

"_Favored?" Nanoha rubbed her injured shoulder, it was caked with blood and burn marks. "Nya ha-ha, favored isn't the word I'd use."_

"_Oh my!" The other girl sputtered, as if coming to her senses; she immediately scooted over and began inspecting Nanoha's shoulder. After a minute, the girl started checking the torso and neck. "Forgive my rudeness, please." The girl bowed her head. "I'm Yagami Hayate, a second year at the shrines."_

_Nanoha smiled gratefully despite the pain. "You probably already know mine, but I'm Takamachi Nanoha."_

"_Pleasure to meet you, Takamachi-san." _

_Nanoha grimaced when the welt under her eye was prodded. "Ouch." _

"_Sorry."_

"_It's okay." She sat in silence while the other girl did her job. After another minute she blurted, "Nanoha."_

_Hayate stopped her ministration. "Eh?"_

_Nanoha didn't know why she was being so forward, but this Hayate seemed a pleasant enough girl. It couldn't hurt to make a friend while staying at the Temple. After topping the first year, whether it was jealously or spite, none of the other girls had anything to do with her. "Just call me Nanoha." She gave the girl her warmest smile and hoped for the best._

_A surprised, but ecstatic grin appeared on the healer's face. "Please call me Hayate then."_

"_Hayate-san?"_

_The other acolyte smiled at the use of her name. "Yes, Nanoha-san?" _

_Before Nanoha even opened her mouth, her stomach let out an audible purr. "Eh..."_

_Hayate started giggling, so much so that she had to stop what she was doing. "S-sorry, that was rude of me."_

"_Mou, I haven't eaten all day, it can't be helped." she retorted with a pout. Truly, it felt good to be relaxed enough to enjoy a little banter. It was preferable to being on her guard all the time._

"_Maa maa," Hayate said with a smile and wave of her hand. "Just get some food after this, I won't be long." The girl snickered one last time before going back to work. _

"_If you haven't already eaten…" Nanoha decided to test out her new friendship. "Do you want to go together?"_

_Hayate paused, a sad look passing over her features. "I can't."_

"_S-sorry, that was rude of me." Nanoha's cheeks started to warm in embarrassment. "You probably have duties, and there I go imposing..."_

"_No," Hayate said hastily, cutting her off. "That's not it." The girl looked away and mentally debated something before turning back to her. "Ano, if it's not too much trouble…" The girl slowly trailed off, losing confidence in what she was asking._

"_Hayate-san?"_

"_Emm…" Hayate finally met her eyes. "Do you think you can pick up some food for the both of us…and…maybe come back here to eat?"_

"_Here?" Nanoha looked around at the holy shrine. "Are we even allowed?" _

"_I have permission," Hayate said nervously. "My room is actually in the backroom behind the scriptures. We can eat there, so it shouldn't be a problem." _

_Nanoha watched as the other girl self-consciously rubbed her legs. Come to think of it, the whole time the other girl never once moved her lower body. Being a quick thinker, understanding finally dawned on her. "Of course I don't mind." Nanoha abruptly stood and started for the door. "I'll be right back, Hayate-san. Leave it to me."_

"_Ano, Nanoha-san?" _

_Hayate's soft voice stopped her. "Yes?" Nanoha asked, turning around._

"_Thank you." Hayate gave her a warm and grateful smile, probably understanding her intention. "But let me finish my job first. If you go in there looking like that, you'll end up giving the cook a heart attack." The girl cocked her head sideways in amusement. "You look like a risen corpse."_

"_Nya ha-ha." Her body chose that exact moment to remind her she was in pain. "Eh, maybe that's for the best." _

**II**

"I'm glad you were able to make a friend."

"Me too," Nanoha said with a smile. "Hayate-chan has been my best friend ever since. Most days I eat my evening meals or spend my off time with her."

"Yagami." Momoko hummed in thought. "That's from Hiko Island, ne?"

Nanoha agreed with a nod. Hiko Island was the agricultural giant of the Kusari Isles. They grew more produce there in one year, than all the other provinces combined for two years. It was an entire land virtually devoid of woodlands. From one stretch to the other, it was an endless field of farms and rice patties. "She was found there I believe."

"Found?" Her mom paused mid-sip of her tea.

Nanoha hated to speak about her friend without permission, but she didn't have a choice now. Otherwise, her mom would grill her endlessly until she came clean anyway. "Hayate-chan…was born with a serious ailment." Even telling her understanding mother about it made her feel guilty. "She was abandoned as a baby at a local shrine."

"How very cruel," Momoko said sadly, shaking her head in disgust. Rural farmers had a strange superstition that if a child was born with a serious ailment or deformity, it would bring disaster and misfortune for their family. Abandoning Hayate to a shrine was the kinder option to what they usually did. "That poor girl."

Nanoha nodded quietly. "The priestesses took her in and raised her ever since. Later on they found out Hayate-chan had a strong earth affinity, so they eventually sent her to the Temple for training."

"Earth, ne?" Momoko appeared even more saddened, and it was understandable. Earth magic was the primary plane of healing. It was a supreme irony that the one power Hayate excelled at, was powerless to help her own condition. "What kind of ailment does she have?"

"I've been rude enough, Okaa-san." Nanoha looked away. "I would rather we stopped talking about it."

Her mom's eyes widened in alarm. "You're right, that was rude of me. When you see your friend again, please ask for my forgiveness."

"For the both of us," Nanoha said sagely, meeting her mom's eyes. "So what else would you like to know?"

The older brunette didn't waste a second with her next question. "Has it been worth it?"

Nanoha saw this one coming. It was inevitable. "Becoming a runeweaver?"

"Yes."

"To tell you the truth, it's been lonely at times. I probably wouldn't have made it if it wasn't for Hayate-chan." Nanoha smiled and looked to the ceiling. "But I've never regretted my choice for a second."

By devoting oneself to the Temple, Nanoha had achieved what few women could, independence. By law, her family had no control over her anymore—though her kind parents would never make her do anything she didn't want to anyway. "Whatever path I take in life is where I choose to walk; that alone has made it all worth it." Her smiled deepened. "Nya ha-ha, being a practiced runeweaver is just a huge bonus."

"I said the same exact thing to your Baa-chan many years ago," Momoko said with a smirk, reaching over to stroke Nanoha's hair gently. "I wonder if you'll say what I just did to your own daughter someday."

Nanoha sighed. This was the same thing that came up every time her mother asked about the Temple. Just because the older brunette had chosen love over commitment, Momoko assumed it was natural that Nanoha would do the same. "I'm serious about the commitment I made, Okaa-san." Nanoha's smile faded and she looked to the floor. "I won't be having children, you know that."

"Nanoha." Her mom's smile faded as well. "You're still too young to make that choice. Experience what life has to offer you first."

"I am serious."

"And so am I." The older brunette rolled her eyes. "You won't be saying the same thing after you meet a nice man you like."

It was Nanoha's turn to roll her eyes, albeit when the other woman couldn't see it. She might disagree with other people's opinions, but she never mocked them for it. "At least being a runeweaver gives me a choice in the matter."

Momoko looked at her in disappointment. "You know me and your father would never force that old tradition on you." Her mom paused. "Oh I see…you're still upset over what happened to Suzuka."

Nanoha sighed again and met blue eyes with her own. "Maybe a little," she said honestly. "She was forced into that, it wasn't fair."

"In the end she wasn't forced into anything. It might have been Tsukimura-sama's idea, but Suzuka was the one who went forward with it." Momoko broke eye contact. "Suzuka was in a tough position, and she decided to put her family first. We should honor that choice."

"If you say so, Okaa-san."

Her mother shrugged. "It's not like any of us had the power to stop her."

"Un." If only that was true.

**II**

"_You're not going anywhere," a sixteen year old Nanoha said with as much conviction as she could muster. It weighed heavily on her mind that she was ordered to the stop this girl no matter what. Suzuka was her friend, sure they haven't seen each other in over four years, but even their time apart couldn't erase the strong bonds they forged while growing up. _

_Suzuka turned and regarded her sadly. The girl was dressed in an elegant, traditional kimono usually worn by a daughter the day she was given away to another family. It was an odd garment to have on when there was no actual wedding taking place, but the Tsukimuras were a proud family that adhered to tradition, despite their criticism for associating with the foreigners. "My mind is made up, Nanoha-chan."_

"_Even so." Nanoha found it hard to meet the other girl's lavender eyes. "The Temple will not allow it."_

"_Since when does the Temple have any say in family matters?"_

"_When it deals with the First Dynasty. Suzuka-chan, you're a direct descendent of the first runeweaver." It wouldn't matter if her friend was leaving with Westerners, Hanyin, Doai, or any other; blood that old was too much of an asset to the Kusari people. "The Temple thinks giving away a powerful bloodline is foolish."_

"_I understand all of that," Suzuka said sadly. "From their perspective it's a very bad thing." The girl turned and began placing more of her belongings inside the final chest. There were already six of those big containers packed full. "But Nanoha-chan, from my perspective it's an honorable choice."_

"_Selling yourself isn't honorable," Nanoha said in frustration. She wasn't a noble like her friend, so some of those upper-class values were lost on her. Like this stubborn belief in archaic traditions._

_The lavender-haired girl finally let out a tired sigh. "What I'm about to tell you stays between you and me, ne?" _

_Nanoha nodded even though her friend couldn't see it while facing the other direction. "Okay."_

"_The townsfolk are suffering right now because of the recession, but my tou-san didn't make this agreement for their sakes." Suzuka stopped packing and turned to her. "If you think he cares about his position as an administrator then you're mistaken. Family always comes first…"_

_Nanoha could understand that well and clear. It was a basic tenet of society. _

"…_that's why he has to do this. We haven't just lost a little money, the Tsukimura family is ruined."_

"_Impossible," Nanoha sputtered in disbelief. The Tsukimura were one of the richest families in the Isles. Everyone knew their power had dwindled with the recession—the whole town was hit hard—but there was no way they could be that bad off._

"_I know what you're thinking." Suzuka suddenly looked ashamed. "But if you understand the world of business it's not too hard to believe; overbuying, loans, bad ventures, and just purchasing things we really didn't need." Suzuka motioned to the manor they were standing in. It was remodeled twice in the last four years, and it was five times the size it was before, housing a staff of over a hundred including guards._

"_But the house and…"_

"_What you see is only for show. Tou-san is using the last of our funds just to maintain appearances, lest we embarrass ourselves in front of the town. Our family's dignity and our land is all we have left…" Suzuka paused. "…even that's going to disappear if the daimyo doesn't receive his annual tribute."_

_Nanoha was shocked. "But the Westerners returned and…"_

"_They aren't the same traders from before," Suzuka continued. "They have no ties with my family, and Tou-san knows this. If he didn't secure the trade contract they could have easily moved on to someone else."_

"_But he didn't have anything to trade them..." In a frustrating bout of clarity, it all made sense. "…so he traded you."_

_Suzuka nodded sadly. "Or he attempted to."_

_News from Midoriya reached all the way to the Temple. Nanoha was shocked about the marriage proposal itself, but everyone else was just surprised the offer was initially refused. "They weren't interested?"_

"_No, the Westerners have a different opinion of what they consider valuable. Needless to say, blood isn't one of them."_

"_If that's the case, how come they eventually agreed?"_

_Suzuka smiled, somewhat proudly. "Everyone thinks I simply talked them into, but that's not what I did. Our family has worked with Westerners since before I was born, and there was one thing they were always interested in..." Suzuka held out a hand and a mist started to form inside her palm. In the span of no less than ten seconds, it coalesced into an ice figurine that matched Suzuka perfectly. _

"_Magic?"_

_Suzuka nodded. "The Westerners are fascinated with it. Maybe not so much with the power itself, but how we use it." The other girl quickly dispelled her ice figurine, watching as the mist disappear into thin air. Suzuka lacked rune knowledge, but her primal control was still excellent. "I showed their leader that little trick, and that was it. The very next day he immediately approached Tou-san about accepting the blood contract. He even apologized for any offense."_

_Nanoha had heard all about the tension before she arrived back in Midoriya. How the Westerners refused the blood contract, insulted the Tsukimura head, and almost incited a conflict. The part that surprised her the most was how the whole thing was eventually resolved by her friend. "Are you saying they accepted a blood contract because they saw you perform a children's cantrip?"_

"_Yes." Suzuka sighed and turned back to her packing. "I feel kind of guilty about misleading them a bit. They probably think I'm a powerful runeweaver or something."_

_Nanoha knew little about the Westerners, so she had to ask, "Do they know what will happen when you…fulfill the blood contract?"_

"_I don't believe they do," Suzuka said knowingly. "As strange as it sounds, Westerners know absolutely nothing about magic. They probably have no idea I'm eventually going to lose my powers either, but the trade agreement is already signed. Ignorance won't be a valid enough excuse for backing out of it."_

_It alarmed her to hear Suzuka speaking about this so causally. This was her friend's life they were talking about. "Aren't you worried what will happen when they find out?"_

_Suzuka shook her head. "I have faith that things will work out. The Westerner leader seemed like an honorable man."_

"_Suzuka-chan…"_

"_Don't," the other girl retorted, her voice cracking a bit. It was clear she was trying to maintain her composure. "Please stop, it isn't like I'm not scared."_

"_Then why do it?"_

"_It's for my family, Nanoha-chan." Suzuka turned to her. The girl's face was calm, but her lavender eyes were indeed terrified. "They gave life to me, it's only right that I do the same in return."_

_Nanoha wished she could say something to that, but in truth she couldn't. She was raised to believe the very same things. Any argument on her part would only sound hollow and hypocritical. "When are they making you leave?" she asked quietly._

"_Tonight." Suzuka calm composure cracked a little more. "I'll be returning with them to fulfill my obligation. I don't what kind of rituals they have, but I'll be married when they arrive in their homeland."_

_Nanoha slowly approached her long time friend. "Suzuka-chan." She couldn't imagine being in the other girl's sandals. Suzuka's entire family hinged on this; a father, a sister, four uncles, five aunts, six cousin, and an entire army of pet cats. "You really love your family, ne?" _

"_I do." Suzuka's shoulders shook with the first sob. "I'm doing…my duty."_

"_And I'm doing mine," Nanoha said firmly, stepping forward and enveloping the girl in a strong embrace. They stood that way for over five minutes while her long time friend emptied her heart. In time, when the crying stopped completely, she said, "You know, I have orders from the Temple to stop you no matter what."_

_She couldn't see it, but she could feel Suzuka smile against her. "I bet you could too. Everyone in town has been talking about your graduation to a runeweaver." Suzuka chuckled softly against her. "You did it, Nanoha-chan. I'm so proud of you."_

_Sighing, Nanoha pulled away. "So nothing I say will stop you?"_

_Suzuka shook her head. "Short of killing me, no."_

"_Don't say such things!" Nanoha groaned. "You know I could never do something like that." Temple be dammed, Suzuka was practically family and family always came first._

_After recovering her composure, the other girl chanced a glance in her direction. "So what will you do?" _

_It was putting her in a difficult position. On one hand she could obey her masters and restrain the girl, ultimately offending the Westerners and destroying the trade contract; but that would certainly doom the Tsukimuras and cripple the entire town, her own family included. "Seems I had no choice."_

"_Had?" Suzuka raised an eyebrow._

_Closing her eyes, Nanoha sighed. "Of course." She cracked open an eye to stare at the girl in mock annoyance. "You left long before I arrived." Nanoha immediately felt herself being wrapped in a hug. It was one thing to initiate physical contact, but it was another to be on the receiving end. "Eh?"_

"_Thank you, Nanoha-chan." Suzuka pulled back in embarrassment. The girl's eyes were no less scared, but now they had a firm resolve in them. She was, after all, Kusari. "I'll miss you."_

"_And I you." _

**II**

"Would you like more tea?" Her mom took her empty cup and stood.

"That would be nice, thank you," Nanoha said with a grateful smile. When the older brunette left the room, she reached inside her robe and pulled out a small origami crane. It looked like any other, but upon closer inspection it was easy to spot it strangeness. The paper used for this crane was unlike any found in the Isles; it was heavily pressed, bleached a bright white, and possessed a smoothness not normally associated with parchment.

"Are you still making those?" Momoko asked as she placed a new cup of tea on the mat. "You're a grown woman now, Nanoha."

"I didn't make it."

Momoko gave her a placating look after retaking the seat beside her. "Who then?"

Nanoha smiled and held the bird closer for her mom to inspect. "I bet you could take one look at this and tell me." Her mom had an uncanny talent for solving any mystery in a matter of seconds. Momoko could take a trace of dirt, an errant leaf, or even a stray piece of lint and tell exactly where it came from. Growing up, it made hiding anything from the woman nearly impossible.

"Hmm." Momoko made a show of pondering it.

"Give up?"

"I'm Kusari, giving up isn't an option." The older brunette gave the crane another passing glance before her eyes narrowed. "The edging is too precise to be yours…"

"Mou, Okaa-san!"

"Well it's true." Momoko took a sip of tea before continuing, "Plus the paper is foreign. Tsukimura-sama keeps a supply of those at his manor." Momoko smiled. "Am I getting closer?"

Her mom's skills were as sharp as ever. "Almost there."

"Well then." Momoko actually paused to think it over. "Tsukimura-sama wouldn't give you something so silly, so that rules him out. Shinobu was as bad at origami as Kyouya was. That just leaves one of the branch members?" Her mom met her eyes. "One of those nice boys perhaps."

Nanoha resisted the urge to roll her eyes, some things never change. "You skipped one."

"I don't believe I did." Momoko gasped in sudden realization. "You can't mean…"

Nanoha nodded, unfolding the paper crane and handing it to her mother. There was a note written on the inside.

**II**

_**Nanoha, if you're reading this right now my little birdy has made it to you safely, wherever you may be. I have so much to tell you, but that will come in time. This letter has to brief. I may have been a noble in the Isles, but here I'm expected to do my part for the whole. Needless to say, my responsibilities keep me quite busy, yet at the same time very happy. You needn't have worried the day of my departure from Midoriya; I have since discovered my happiness in this foreign land. Sadly, that brings me to the purpose of this letter. I have to leave my new home and not by choice either. To avoiding confusing you, I'll just say that bad things are happening here that have put my life in danger because of who I am. My new family refuses to see me come to harm, so they have sent me aboard the next flying machine bound for Kusari. We'll be arriving at the beginning of fall, but I hope this letter reaches you before then. It will be good to see the Isles once more, and I'd very much like to see you when I arrive. So until then, My Friend, be well.**_

_The Temple Mistress paused her reading and scanned the bottom of the letter. "It was signed in strange characters. I don't recognize the language, but it's definitely not Hanyin or Doai." The wizened runeweaver sneered, as if she tasted something horrible. "This definitely belongs to that Tsukimura child who left with the foreigners. Bah, I don't like this one bit."_

"_Ano, Kuro-sama?" A nineteen year old Nanoha narrowed her eyes at the mistress. "This letter was sent by a friend for my eyes only."_

_The old crone lowered the paper and glared at her. They were all sitting in a private tearoom with several elders nearby. "Under normal circumstances I would agree," Kuro-sama retorted as she shook the letter at her, "but its very presences is a cause for alarm."_

"_I don't see how…"_

"_You don't have to see," interrupted the crone, "you have to feel. The Temple is secluded from civilization and no one, but the elders, can find this place without the Wind Corridor. It shouldn't be possible for a letter to arrive by itself, especially without it being detected by the spell wards."_

_Nanoha silently agreed that her former teacher made a good point. _

_It all started this afternoon during a sparring session with Kuro-sama. She had managed to best the old crone for the third time this month, much to the mistress's chagrin. Nanoha especially relished the look on the woman's face when she reflected a fireball right back at her—a technique Nanoha developed over the years to compensate for her handicap in the fourth plane. It was a shame her victory euphoria was short lived. Right out of nowhere, while she was kneeling for a breath, a bird landed directly in her lap. It flapped its wings, moved its head, and even shuffled around by itself, but oddly enough, it was an origami paper crane._

_Before she had a chance to even touch the thing, Kuro-sama immediately snatched it away and walked off to the tearoom while alerting the elders. In all these years, Nanoha had never seen the mistress so alarmed. When everyone was gathered, the head elder unfolded the paper crane to discover a letter, one that the old crone promptly read aloud. _

"_I can't explain how it got here, but the crane itself is just a basic enchantment." _

_Her former teacher rolled her eyes. "On the surface maybe, but take a closer look." The letter left Kuro-sama's hands and floated over to her. _

"_Yes, Mistress," Nanoha said cautiously, grabbing the letter and scanning the contents. _

"_Don't read it, scry the thing."_

_Nanoha fought the urge to sigh, even after all these years as a runeweaver, her former teacher still treated her like an acolyte. "Mou, I was."_

"_Then get on it with, Child."_

_She ignored the woman and went straight to work. Activating her inner-eye, she peered beyond the paper to the weave inside it. "Eh!"_

"_Yes, that's what I detected the moment I saw it," Kuro-sama said knowingly. "There's a tremendous amount of power radiating from the letter's enchantments." _

_That, in itself, was odd. Suzuka possessed a large amount of power, but lacked the knowledge to properly weave it. "That is…strange," Nanoha conceded. The letter levitated out of her palms and suspended in the air in front of her. Holding out both hands, seven runic circles appeared around the parchment. "There's a water-based shielding spell created to protect the material from damage." Nanoha tore the first enchantment apart, and one of the seven runes—magic ciphering seals—extinguished after it was dispelled. _

"_Go on."_

_Nanoha nodded, she was determined to get to the bottom of this. "There is also an earth-based cantrip, most likely the source of the bird mimicry." Another one of the rune circles flashed and faded away, effectively ending the second enchantment._

_The mistress nodded in satisfaction. "Dig even deeper. Find the heart."_

_Nanoha couldn't see anymore, yet there was still a large amount of power residue left. "Ano, I don't…" Suddenly, all five of the remaining seals ignited; the force of the shockwave was strong enough to throw Nanoha back in surprise. With her concentration now broken, the letter floated down to the floor._

"_I see you finally found that sneaky little thing." Kuro-sama gave her a smirk. "See why I made such a fuss?"_

"_Yes," Nanoha said simply. The final enchantment was indeed the heart, and while she couldn't see it with her inner-eye, her runes detected it and dispelled it. "I couldn't see it…but that's not possible." _

_Three planes existed as the base of the runic language; water, earth, and wind. They were the elemental foundation of literally thousands of spells, and Nanoha adeptly learned to recognize them instantly. For the life of her, she didn't think it was possible to overlook a spell that just consumed a total of five seals. _

"_You, of all people, couldn't identify the third spell?"_

"_No." Nanoha knew why the elders looked so shocked. Out of all the runeweavers in the Temple, her magical sight was unparallel._

"_So what does that tell you?" The old crone raised an eyebrow, waiting patiently for her to come to a conclusion. The other elders were already looking amongst themselves wearily; most of them having already figured out what just happened. None of them looked pleased in the slightest._

"_The impossible," Nanoha retorted. If she was blind to it, then it dealt with the fourth and final plane—the plane of fire. "I know what you're hinting at, Kuro-sama, but it makes no sense. There are no fire spells." The runic language was only comprised of the first three planes. Fire, as an elemental source, was too chaotic to be weaved from. "What does this mean?"_

"_It means, unlikely as it may seem, a fire-based spell was used on that little crane." The old teacher leaned further back on her haunches and sighed. "If I had to wager a guess as to what it does…"_

"_It was a tracer spell that sought me out." Understanding quickly dawned on her. "That must be why the spell wards didn't detect it, because the heart existed outside the three planes."_

"_Exactly." The mistress turned to the group of elders who all nodded in assent. Nanoha figured they were all communicating through mindspeak the whole time. "That's why we must contact our sister Temples on the mainland. This is a grave matter of importance, and they all need to be made aware of it._

"_But…but…." Nanoha looked pleadingly over at her teacher. "This came from Suzuka-chan, so it can't be anything dangerous."_

"_Naïve," retorted the mistress. "How can we be so sure?"_

"_She's a Kusari by blood and birth, same as all of us. Are you saying she miraculously gained the ability to create fire spells?"_

"_Maybe, maybe not." There was no mistaking the venom laced in the old woman's voice. "If you were the first 'you', you'd understand how serious this is."_

_It had been awhile since the old crone motioned her in the multiple sense. "Mistress?"_

"_Bah!" Kuro-sama gestured in irritation. "I'm not entirely convinced the Tsukimura child sent the letter."_

"_What do you mean?" asked an elder off to the side, speaking up for the first time._

"_Ano, I'm positive she wrote the letter." Nanoha walked over and scooped up the parchment from the floor. "This is definitely Suzuka's calligraphy. I'll vouch for it myself."_

"_Very well, consider the obvious then." Kuro-sama gave her an inpatient look. "She was bartered off to the foreigners as a bride. Do you honestly think after three years your friend can still weave magic?"_

_All fight quickly left Nanoha. She was determined to defend her friend's innocent intention in contacting her, but that line of reasoning unnerved her. "I guess not." For the life of her, Nanoha hadn't actually considered Suzuka's marriage and the duties required thereafter. "So…there's a second caster then. Suzuka wrote the letter, but someone else sent it."_

"_Precisely." For the first time, in a very long while, the mistress gave her a proud smile. "These Westerners are a cause for alarm, never mind your friend being involved with them. Have you ever wondered how they can exist in a place that should be nothing but ocean? But more importantly, have you ever questioned why there were never any runeweavers among them?"_

_Nanoha nodded. Her mind had pondered questions like those many times. "What are you saying, Mistress?"_

"_I'm simply saying they are more than they let on. The fact we discovered the existence of fire-based magic among them, just goes to show how dangerous they really are."_

"_That's going a bit far. I grew up in Midoriya, Kuro-sama. Westerners never brought any harm to us before." Nanoha felt a strange need to defend her town's dealings._

"_Bah, so says the farmer who trusts a wolf to watch his flock," the mistress said in disappointment. "Don't be blinded by optimism, Child. Enemies can wear many faces." The mistress held out a hand to one of the elders. A woman to the farthest left, the youngest of the group, promptly placed a scroll parchment in their leader's palm. "That brings me to my next point. Since you already know both the town and the subject matter, I'm sending you to Midoriya on behalf of the Temple to investigate this further."_

"_You want me to be a spy?" _

"_An 'agent' for the temple." Kuro-sama snorted in derision. "If I wanted a spy I'll send an Aicho. No, your task will be to find the identity of the mystery caster who used the fourth plane. This is the most alarming incident the Temple has faced in a long time, and if it turns out the Westerners were the source, then even more so." The crone met her with a cold stare. "I don't have to tell you how important this is. The fact that it involves your friend is why I'm sending you and not an elder, so please don't make me regret that decision."_

"…"

"_Have I made myself clear?"_

"_Yes, Mistress."_

**II**

Nanoha wished she could tell someone about what was going on, but sadly, not even her mother was allowed to know.

"Then the Westerners arrival today…"

"Suzuka-chan should be among them," Nanoha finished for her.

The older brunette nodded happily and folded the paper. "The letter was a little vague, but the important part is Suzuka's homecoming." Momoko turned to her. "To be honest, no one expected her to come back, not even her father. This is surely a good omen."

_Or a very bad one. _Nanoha thought.

Momoko smiled. "The two of you were so close growing up. Suzuka felt like another one of my children."

"And a sibling to me." Nanoha sighed and stood up from the mat. "I've delayed going to the tower long enough. She might be waiting for me."

Her mom caught the note of regret in her voice. "Aren't you happy to see her again, Nanoha?"

Her mission from the Temple made any joy from such an occasion moot. She was basically spying on a childhood friend for a bunch of old, paranoid women who didn't trust anything they couldn't understand. "I am," she said quickly, trying to sound as convincing as possible.

"Ano, Nanoha?"

"I have to go now," Nanoha said suddenly. She could never hold up to her mother's scrutiny for very long. It was best to leave when she had the chance.

"Already?" Momoko looked disappointed. "You're leaving before we had a chance to catch up, just like last time."

"It can't be helped." Regret welled up inside her and Nanoha looked away. "Sorry."

Momoko quickly stood and approached her. "At least come back to the house later to spend some time with everyone." Her mother enveloped her in a warm hug.

"I'll try, Okaa-san."

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

"Take a seat," the captain of the ship, a Kusari by birth, said amicably.

"On these?" Shiro looked wearily at the two elevated seats facing a large wooden desk.

"Come on, Otou-san," Kyouya said to his father, already claiming the right seat for himself. While the older Takamachi hesitated, he took the chance to look around the room. It was filled with an assortment of trinkets, metal statuettes, and flags of varied design. The most out-of-place objects were the little dragon models resting on the captain's desk. Brown colored ones mostly, but also bronze, gold, and even black ones. The Westerners who made them sure had an imagination.

The captain sat in his own chair on the other side. "Are you going to stand there all day, Takamachi-san?"

Shiro finally relented and awkwardly sat in the empty seat. "I've never been inside a flying machine before."

A smile slowly crept on the captain's face. "Don't let all the metal fool you. It may look sturdy, but airships are extremely fragile."

Kyouya tore his eyes away from a pair of swords resting on the wall—both blades were built with hand guards on the knuckles, a practical enough design. "Airships? So that's what the Westerners call them."

"Translated into Kusari yes. Of course the word sounds a bit different in their language."

Kyouya nodded, still marveling at the airship's complexity. Along the way to the captain's quarters, he got an inside view of just how much metalworking went into building this thing. "How powerful are the runes that make this thing fly?"

The captain chuckled. "Spells have no part in it. Airships are powered with a bunch of gears, gases, and steam. I'm not quite sure how it works myself. I just captain the thing. "

"And how did you manage that, Nakajima-san?" Kyouya asked in wonder. It was hard to believe the foreigners would allow it, they always seemed aloof and distrustful of their people.

Shiro shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I'd also like to know."

"Fair enough." The white-haired man leaned back in his chair. "But before you start making assumptions, let me tell you I earned it through hard work."

"This coming from you?" The older Takamachi said in jest. "You never took anything seriously."

"Very true, but all things change with time." The captain smiled, probably remembering his younger years. "Would you like to hear my story then?"

Shiro didn't object. "Please."

Genya Nakajima nodded and opened his desk, inside he pulled out a brown tube that he popped into his mouth. On a tiny bowl sitting on his desk, the captain removed a small stick that ignited when the man flicked it with his thumb. Using it, he lit the tube and inhaled. "I hope you don't mind."

The smoke that filled the room had an acrid smell to it, but out of politeness, Kyouya and Shiro ignored it. "No," said the youngest member of the trio.

"Good. These cigars are a nasty habit, and I didn't want to make you two uncomfortable." The captain took a deep puff before continuing, "Let's start at the beginning shall we. Twenty-eight years ago the Westerners first arrived, or more accurately they crashed. I believe it was engine trouble in their boiler room, or something like that." The man snickered. "Those early models were nothing but flying firecrackers. It's a miracle they didn't end up as flotsam in the Crags."

"Crags?" Shiro interrupted.

Genya nodded. "What the Westerners call the land shelf that sits just under the ocean. It covers the waters to the east and west, with polar shelves to the north and south. You have to travel by air if you want to reach the other side." The captain paused and motioned to Shiro. "But I'm not telling an old sailor anything new."

"So the Westerners made flying machines to cross the…Crags?" Kyouya wondered.

"Heh." The captain chuckled again. "Not even close. The people who created airships intended them for land prospecting and ocean cartography. It was an invention out of necessity. They lacked the other aerial resources of their northern neighbors."

"Other aerial resources?" Shiro asked with surprise. "Are you telling me they have other things that can fly?"

The captain had chuckled before, but now his throat exploded with laughter. "Neither of you would believe me if I told you," he said once his laughter was under control, "never in a million years."

"But if airships weren't invented to cross the far ocean…" Kyouya cut in, his curiosity was in full bloom. "How did one of them end up in Midoriya?"

"How else?" Puffing on his cigar, the captain answered, "by accident."

"Eh?"

"As I learned, they were returning from a mission on the edges of the Eastern Sea—or Western Sea for us—but fate had other plans for them. Their airship got caught up in a storm that knocked them in the opposite direction. They were trapped in the air current for days, and their limited food reserves started to dwindle. It was a bad situation. On one hand they could travel back home the way came, but they would eventually starve to death before they made it. That left them with the final option; keep heading in the opposite direction and hope it would get them home quicker."

Kyouya held out a hand to stop the man. "How would traveling in the opposite direction get them home?" That kind of logic truly baffled him.

Genya leaned back in his chair and sighed. "Che, that's another hard to thing to explain. Just believe me when I tell you, that if you travel in the same direction you eventually come back to where you started."

"Don't tell me you believe in that too?" Shiro spoke up. "It's a crazy myth."

"And I'm telling you it's proven fact." Genya retorted.

"Ano, what are you two talking about?" It was clear that his father understood what the captain was hinting at.

Shiro rolled his eyes and turned to his son. "He talking about the shape of the world."

"What about it?"

"The Westerners, and apparently Nakajima-san, both think the world is shaped like a ball."

Kyouya blinked. "Like the sun?"

"Yes, and it's the truth," the captain cut in.

"Ha, and next thing you'll try tell me is that the moon used to be a ball too."

"Now that you mention it…"

"It makes sense," Kyouya said suddenly, earning a glare from his father. "The part about the world, not the moon."

Shiro groaned and sighed. "Not you too, Kyouya. I thought I raised you better."

"But it explains why they decided to keep going. I'm not saying their theory is right or wrong," Kyouya paused, "but it answers the logic behind their choice."

"Finally a Takamachi with some sense." Nakajima nodded and took a puff from his cigar. "Would you like me to continue?"

Before Shiro could answer, Kyouya beat him to it, "Please."

"Well then, the Westerners were very wrong in the assumption; it turns out the world was bigger than they thought it was. They came to that conclusion when they spotted uncharted land on the horizon."

"The Isles?"

"Yes, Unimari in particular." The captain shrugged. "It was a stroke of luck they found it when they did. Their supply stores were completely dry. Unfortunately, luck ended the moment the airship gave out and crashed in Tsukimura-sama's backyard."

Shiro turned to his son and took the story from there. "Nakajima-san and I were both guards for Tsukimura-sama back then. We were among the first Kusari to meet the foreigners at the crash site."

"Yes, and what a bad first impression we made," Genya said with humor. "We nearly killed the lot of them." The captain took another drag of his cigar. It didn't help the atmosphere any, the small cabin was already filled to the brink with smoke. "None of them were actually killed, but one of them came very close."

"Their leader," Shiro said suddenly. "Harlaown-san."

Kyouya looked over at him in surprise. It was odd that his father addressed a foreigner by name. "You remember him?"

"I was the one who almost killed him."

Genya smirked at the surprised Kyouya. "You're tou-san was the finest swordsman I've ever known. His opponent didn't stand a chance."

"Nakajima-san is being too kind with his praise," Shiro said neutrally. "The Westerner captain put up a good fight, but it dragged on longer than it should of. In the end he came a hair's breadth of death."

"Thankfully he lived, albeit barely," Genya cut in. "Captain Harlaown was the only one with the authority to speak for the Westerners. With him injured like that, the rest refused to cooperate." The white-haired man paused. "If it wasn't for Tsukimura-sama's order to contain them, I imagine the militia would have done away with them."

"And changed history." Shiro took over the story again. "While Tsukimura-sama was working on establishing a dialog, the Temple was contacted to send a healer. We figured if the Westerner captain was saved, the others would become more reasonable."

Genya nodded. "That's when they sent her."

"Her?" Kyouya asked, noting the sober expression on the other men's faces. His dad appeared a little angry, but Nakajima-san seemed saddened.

"Asako Qing," Genya eyed a small metal rectangle facing his side of the desk. "She was a beautiful half Hanyin priestess trained as a healer. The only one in Midoriya at the time that could save the Westerner."

His dad motioned to the captain. "She was also the girl Nakajima-san was obsessed with."

"Otou-san!" Kyouya sputtered in surprise. "That's rude."

Genya shrugged and smiled. "Your father is right. I loved her with all my heart and was helplessly devoted. We had known each other from my hometown before she was sent to work at the Midoriya shrine. I know her being a runeweaver meant we could never be together, I but I followed her anyway."

Shiro grunted. "And you followed her again, ne?"

Genya nodded, but he cleared the air a bit for Kyouya's sake. "The Westerner captain was gravely injured. Even with Qing's help, the chances that he would recover was still slim."

"But that man was a strong one." Shiro had a rare tone of respect laced in his voice. "He pulled through regardless."

"Luckily." The captain leaned back in his chair. "He was still in a critical condition though, but coherent enough to get his men to calm down."

Kyouya knew as much from then on. "And our people started working together, ne?"

"Yes, but it took several chaotic months." Genya leaned forward and extinguished his cigar in a small bowl of ash. "The Westerners only priority was returning home, and Tsukimura-sama was anxious to see them off. Riders had come from the daimyo reprimanding the administrator for not contacting the government about the 'invaders'."

"Invaders?"

"Heh." Genya shrugged. "That's what it looked like from an outside perspective. Anyways, Tsukimura-sama was getting a lot of bad attention, so he wanted to return the village to normalcy as quick as possible. He aided the Westerners as best he could, and sure enough, they were repaired, restocked, and ready to go after nine months. However, there was one little snag."

"The Westerner captain was in no condition to be moved." Shiro spoke up.

"Exactly," the captain said, a glazed look passing his eyes. "Whether he was ready to be moved or not, the Westerners had to go. Word from the capital was that the daimyo had sent soldiers to take them into custody, despite Tsukimura-sama's promise of safe passage."

"I never knew that happened." Kyouya said, looking over at his father.

"It's not a part of the story the townsfolk are aware of out of respect for the daimyo. The Westerners escaped long before his soldiers arrived."

"But their captain…"

"Lived," Genya said firmly. The man's attention was focused on the metal rectangle facing his direction on the desk. "Qing was still charged with taking care of the man, so she volunteered to go with them, if only to make sure his condition didn't worsen."

"And the town let her?"

A grimace suddenly formed on the captain's face and he stared at Kyouya. "Who would care about what happened to a half Hanyin girl?"

It was a sour subject, so Shiro pushed on. "I can see what happened then. You stowed away on the airship to follow her, ne?"

"Of course I did. There was no way in the heavens I was going to leave her in the strangers' care."

"What happened next, Nakajima-san?" Kyouya asked.

"We had a grand adventure." The man grunted with a smile. "The airship made it back to its home, and the two of us suddenly became the foreigners. Trust me, it was a hectic time that followed, but in hindsight, sneaking on the ship was the best decision I ever made."

"That's surprising," Shiro retorted. "You hated the Westerners."

"I was an ignorant youth, but I was talking about my life in general." The captain turned the metal rectangle that was sitting on his desk. On it was an image frozen with perfect clarity. A younger Genya stood there with an arm around a stunning lavender-haired woman with green eyes—both of them were wearing a matching gray-colored uniform. Below them were two children. The older one had hair similar to the mother, but the younger one had a bluer shade that blatantly displayed her Hanyin heritage. "As you can see, I've lived a full life, not once, but twice blessed."

Shiro leaned back in surprise. "I take it she gave up her oath to the Temple."

"Let's just say the Temple didn't hold the same importance as it did before. Giving up her powers was a calculated choice rather than a romantic one. It was either that, or draw attention to herself."

"What do you mean?" Kyouya asked.

"We were human." Genya returned the picture frame back to where it rested before. "You may find this hard to believe, but humans in the West can't use…"

A knock on the cabin door startled the three occupant.

(Enter.) Genya said in the foreign tongue as he stood.

A blonde foreigner entered and stood before the captain. He didn't even acknowledge Kyouya and Shiro's presence. (He got out, Captain Jim.)

Genya sneered and slammed a hand on his desk. (I told Mrs. Bannings to watch him, didn't I?)

(Yes, but he broke through the wards and escaped the tower.) The Westerner sighed. (Mrs. Bannings left the little one with your daughter and chased after him.)

(By the Light!) The captain swore, earning baffled looks from the other two Kusari. (Cray is going to have my head if anything happens to either of them.)

The blonde-haired man twitched nervously, and Kyouya wondered what the two were talking about. "Catch any of this, Otou-san?"

"Not a word."

(I tried to send some men after them,) said the Westerner to his captain, (but the locals wouldn't let them leave the tower. Refused to budge they did.)

(I guess my people are as suspicious as ever.) Genya sighed. (I'll take care of this, have the men finish the rounds and get the ship ready for departure if need be.)

(Aye, Captain.) The man turned to leave, but stopped at the door. (Mrs. Bannings put us all in danger bringing him aboard. We should have never allowed it.)

(I know.)

(What if the Belkans boarded us and found him? You know what they do to people who quarter his kind.)

(I said I know!) Genya snapped irritably. (Dismissed.)

(Aye, Captain.) With that, the man left.

"What was that about?" Shiro asked curiously, a feeling mirrored by the younger Takamachi.

(A stowaway.)

"Eh?"

Genya shook his head. "Sorry." He paused, turning to the other two men. "This is sudden, but I need to ask a favor."

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

"We have been waiting for you, Ojou-sama." The servants quickly bowed and led her inside the large manor, more a castle than a common home.

"You've been waiting for me?" Nanoha asked, stepping in behind the three girls who led the way. Normally being allowed in the Tsukimura household was an honor reserved for family and the army of servants who maintained the place. Not even her mother, who was considered a close friend of Tsukimura-sama, was allowed beyond the doors. Nanoha, on the other hand, was an exception. Being a runeweaver granted a status that elevated her beyond her gender.

"Tsukimura-ojou-sama has sent word to have your arrival prepared for," the servant on the far left said demurely.

"I see." Nanoha looked to the servant who addressed her. "Has Suzuka-chan…Tsukimura-ojou-sama not arrived yet?"

"I'm afraid not." This time it was the servant on the far right who spoke up. "She requested we attend to your every need while she got her affairs in order."

Nanoha was quickly led to their destination. She watched as the servants opened a sliding door to an opulent waiting room. It was decorated in the Kusari fashion to exemplify natural beauty; potted bonsai, wood carvings that lined the walls, and even sitting mats all furnished with the highest quality Hanyin silks. This room alone probably cost more than her family home.

"Please," said one of the servants as the girl motioned to the sitting mats. "We shall prepare some refreshments for you, Ojou-sama."

"You don't have to address me like that. Takamachi-san is fine." Nanoha was definitely not used to the special treatment. Sure her Temple status put her on par with nobility, but take away her ivory clothes, and she was no different from a common villager.

All the servants bowed, but the one closest to the door addressed Nanoha, "I'm afraid we can't, Ojou-sama. Tsukimura-sama would be cross with us if he found us disrespecting an honorable runeweaver in his own house." Without needing to further explain, each girl spread out to perform their duties.

"This really isn't necessary," Nanoha said in embarrassment as she sat down.

One girl quickly placed a tray in front of her and stood off to the side, obediently awaiting any further command. "We were ordered to see to you needs, Ojou-sama."

Nanoha gave up and let them pamper her. While the other two servants busied with the tea and snack preparation, she turned to the servant by her mat. "Have you worked here long?"

"Yes." The girl bowed her head and avoided eye contact.

Nanoha internally sighed, the girl took her job too seriously. "Have you ever met a Westerner before?" she asked, trying once more to spark a conversation.

"Yes."

"What are they like?" Nanoha had never actually met one face to face before. Tsukimura-sama strictly enforced his male only policy when dealing with foreigners, so all her opinions and perception were shaped by things her father and townsmen would say.

"Same as normal men." The servant paused. "Maybe a little louder than most."

"And Westerner women?"

"I've never met one." The servant shrugged, still not meeting Nanoha's eyes. "The traders were always men."

"I see." Nanoha's questioning wasn't recreational; she was trying to fulfill her assignment. The Temple concluded the caster of the fire spell was somewhere on the docked flying machine. Since the servant said that Westerner traders were usually all men, Nanoha just had to locate one of their females. That would most likely be the culprit.

(Get back here!) came a yell from the hallway, causing all the servants to look over at the door cautiously.

Nanoha, on the other hand, stood in surprise. She recognized the voice immediately, despite the strange language being spoken.

(You're not allowed out of my sight, you made a promise!)

Lacking the grace that was normally expected of her, Nanoha quickly bolted to the door before the servants could and slid it open. It was just in time to see a large object zip passed. Her head poked out of the corridor to watch the object round the corner out of sight.

_Was that an animal?_

If Nanoha didn't know any better, she could have sworn that was a lion. A sudden movement to her left made a her turn. That was when she saw the object's pursuer.

"Nanoha-chan!" said an older Suzuka who slid to stop, panting. (Which…way…did it go?)

Nanoha blinked. "Eh?"

The lavender-haired girl realized her words weren't registering. "Sorry, it's been awhile since I spoke Kusari." Suzuka held out her arms wide. "Large, brown, running really fast; did you see which way it went?"

Still in a confused daze, Nanoha pointed to the left path at the end of the hall.

"Thank you." Suzuka quickly bowed before taking off without another word.

_Not the reunion I was expecting._

"Suzuka-chan?" Her friend had looked so different, but that probably had a lot to do with the clothes the girl wore—a long peach skirt that reached her boot clad ankles, and a matching top that showed far too much skin to be considered decent. Suzuka's hair was also grown out longer than she remembered it.

_What's going on?_

Shaking her head, Nanoha followed after her friend on a dead run. It wasn't log before she tracked the other girl down; Suzuka was staring at a dead end in the hallway. "Tell me what's going on?" Nanoha asked with a note of irritation. She hated being left in the dark.

(You're not fooling anyone.) Suzuka called out after she caught her breadth.

Nanoha's patience had about run out. "Suzuka-chan!" It didn't help the other girl was speaking in a foreign language she didn't understand either.

"I'm sorry, Nanoha-chan," Suzuka said to her briefly. "But please be quiet."

"Mou!" Nanoha was about to retort, but a flicker in the hallway suddenly caught her eye—not the two blue one's her parents gave her, but her spiritual inner-eye. A wind-based illusion spell was present. "Stand back, Suzuka-chan." Training abruptly kicked in, and Nanoha raised a hand to dispel it. That was her intention anyway, but her long time friend beat her to it.

(Fade!) Suzuka's hand flew out and a blue rune formed in the air. The environment instantly shifted to reveal the true hallway, or more accurately a hole in the side of the manor leading outside.

"Eh." Nanoha quickly turned to her friend, and was startled by the look on Suzuka's face. The girl was pissed. In all their time together, Nanoha had never seen her friend this angry before. "I…" Her eyes widened the moment a crucial piece of information registered in her mind.

_She can still use her magic…_

(Damn him, he promised.) An angry Suzuka faced Nanoha, but her expression softened considerably. "This wasn't how I wanted to meet again, Nanoha-chan, but that can wait till later. I need your help."


End file.
